Latest news with #BermudaHigh
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chances Of Tropical Development Near The Lesser Antilles This Week Remain Slim
We're watching for development of a tropical wave in the middle of the Atlantic into what could be the season's next tropical depression or storm, however, the chances remain slim. The disorganized wave is located well over 500 miles east of Barbados, or roughly halfway between the Lesser Antilles and Africa. It has winds of up to 40 mph in a small area of thunderstorms near the wave axis. (MORE: What is a Tropical Wave?) Conditions are marginally favorable for further development as this wave moves westward at 10 mph. For now, the threat of this disturbance becoming anything more than a rainmaker is low. This is not a threat to the United States. It will be guided along the southern periphery of the Bermuda High on a westward path. The tropical wave will reach the Caribbean around Thursday. By the time it nears the Caribbean, wind shear is expected to increase, making it more difficult to produce dangerous conditions and intensify. Several inches of rain are likely on the islands that this disturbance passes over. An increase in swells and rip current potential are expected late week near the Lesser Antilles. These effects may be confined to a smaller area given the wave's smaller size. Computer models are not currently expecting much sustained intensification near the islands, so wind may not be a major threat there. We'll keep an eye on it. The next tropical storm will be named "Dexter." (MORE: From Thunderstorms To Major Storm: The Life Cycle Of A Hurricane) Nearing August: Tropical Wave Development Typically Increases There is a notable increase in tropical activity in the southern Atlantic throughout late July and into early August. This is because dusty, dry, Saharan air – one of the Atlantic's biggest limiting factors – typically disperses and allows tropical waves to produce tall thunderstorms. These thunderstorms lead to a healthier system and could eventually lead to the formation of a tropical depression or storm. At the same time, water temperatures are often near their annual peak and wind shear is often decreasing. Development chances also increase in the Gulf and western Atlantic as we approach August. Jonathan Belles has been a digital meteorologist for for 9 years and also assists in the production of videos for The Weather Channel en español. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
2025 has become 'the year of the flood.' Why is it raining so much?
If you think this summer has been wetter and rainier than usual, you're right. Daily tropical downpours, deadly flash floods and crushing humidity: If you think summer 2025 has been wetter and rainier than usual, you're right. "2025 has been the year of the flood," said WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry in a July 15 email to USA TODAY. "The tragic July 4th flooding in central Texas – the deadliest flash flood in at least 50 years in the U.S. – punctuated what's been an especially bad year for flooding across the country." In fact, "so far in 2025, National Weather Service offices have issued more flood warnings than any other year on record dating back to 1986," Lowry said. In addition to the catastrophic flooding in Texas, life-threatening flooding and record rainfall has been reported in New Mexico, North Carolina and other East Coast states this month. Why is this? What's going on? It's the humidity "In general, atmospheric moisture in the areas that have seen the most flooding this year has been historically high," Lowry told USA TODAY. "We can look at dew point temperature as a gauge for how soupy it's been," he said. "The dew point temperature has been much higher than average across parts of Texas and over nearly the entire eastern third of the U.S." So why has it been so humid? The main reason is due to the unusually warm waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf this season. "The subtropical waters around the U.S., and especially off the Eastern Seaboard, have warmed considerably, and the stronger flow out of the south and east around the Bermuda High has swept all of that muggy air from offshore much farther inland," Lowry said. Indeed, the Bermuda/Azores high has been abnormally strong so far this year, and clockwise flow around that area of high pressure pulls moisture from the ocean and Gulf directly into the United States. "So the bottom line is higher humidity levels from warmer waters around the U.S. have contributed to the record flooding we've seen so far this year," Lowry said. Wet spring also set the stage In addition, AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok told USA TODAY that the wet spring in the East also set the stage for the soggy summer that's followed. He said the sodden ground from heavy rain in April and May has contributed to the flooding we've been seeing in summer. Furthermore, Pastelok said there's been a lack of potent cold fronts sweeping down from Canada, which act to reduce humidity levels. He did say that a cold front in mid-July, the first one in quite a while, will at least temporarily help ease the crushing humidity in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast later this week. DC deluges One city that's seen a high number of flash floods this summer is Washington, D.C., which has seen an unusual number of weather alerts related to rain and flooding this year. In a typical year, the weather service office in the DC-Baltimore area issues one or two moderate risk rainfall outlooks. This July alone, there have already been three: July 1, 9 and 14, CNN reported. "In the past month, there have only been seven days when the DC-Baltimore area wasn't under any excessive rainfall threat," CNN said. What about climate change? Climate change can affect the intensity and frequency of precipitation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which said that "warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates into the air. When more moisture-laden air moves over land or converges into a storm system, it can produce more intense precipitation — for example, heavier rain and snow storms." Hourly rainfall rates have grown heavier in nearly 90% of large US cities since 1970, according to a recent study from the nonprofit research group Climate Central. (This story has been updated to correct a misspelling/typo.)
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
West Palm Beach taps its emergency groundwater wells as drought continues into rainy season
The most widespread extreme drought since 2011 for Palm Beach County has continued a month into the rainy season despite May's slobbery promise that summer's showers had begun. While May finished with nearly normal rainfall totals, the deficit in West Palm Beach this year is nearly 13 inches below average as measured at Palm Beach International Airport. Since the rainy season began May 15, the rain deficit is 5.1 inches. National Weather Service meteorologists said a westward stretching Bermuda High, which has bullied afternoon sea breeze showers farther inland, combined with a sprinkling of cloud vaporizing Saharan dust has contributed to making this year the fifth-driest and ninth-warmest in 130 years of records. "We've just been dry overall and when we don't get the showers and thunderstorms, with the angle of the sun being really high, it allows everything to heat up," said Miami-based NWS meteorologist Barry Baxter. In West Palm Beach, where the water supply is primarily drawn from lakes and wetlands, the city started pulling water from its emergency groundwater wellfields on April 17 to supplement the supply for the estimated 130,000 residents of West Palm, Palm Beach and South Palm Beach. Clear Lake, which feeds directly into the city's water treatment plant, has developed a crusty sloping beach around its edges as water recedes. City officials said on June 17 the lake was at 10.55 feet above sea level, which is within the normal seasonal range of 9.5 feet to 12.5 feet above sea level. Still, city officials said they are concerned about whether there is enough water in the regional system, which includes water from Lake Okeechobee, to supplement supply until the rainy season steps up its game. "What if we don't get the rain we need?" asked Ryan Rossi, executive director of the South Florida Water Coalition, during a June 5 South Florida Water Management District meeting. "It's not an unusual question to keep asking, it's not unusual for the people of West Palm Beach to ask, and I think they should be asking it." Rainy season officially runs May 15 through Oct. 15 in South Florida. Those dates were set by the NWS Miami office in 2018 as a way to increase awareness of what can be a dangerous time of year with frequent lightning, flooding, occasional tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Previous to having the permanent dates, the rainy season's start date was determined by looking at atmospheric conditions including dew point temperatures, sea surface temperatures and an established pattern of rainfall typical to the rainy season. Between 60% and 70% of the average annual rainfall in South Florida occurs during the wet season. Hurricane season 2025: New forecast calls for above normal season but questions remain John Mitnik, chief engineer for the South Florida Water Management District, said at the June 5 meeting that district meteorologists believe the rainy season began May 22 this year. Ahead of that, there were six consecutive months of below-normal rainfall over the 16-county region that the district manages from Orlando to the Keys. 'The wet season has started,' Mitnik said June 5. 'Welcome to the wet season.' And it seemed to be the case. In the two weeks following May 22, areas of Miami-Dade County received 5.3 inches of rain, the Florida Keys averaged 3.9 inches, parts of Broward County were at 3.4 inches and coastal Palm Beach County had 2.6 inches. Then the rainfall sputtered. Hurricane Season 2025: When the Internet storm is worse than the real thing The largest Saharan dust outbreak for May in eight years occurred during the last week of the month, according to Michael Lowry, a hurricane expert with South Florida ABC-TV affiliate WPLG-Channel 10. Lowry said a stronger-than-normal Bermuda High could be helping to usher the dust outbreaks toward the Caribbean and Florida. Saharan dust prevents widespread showers from forming by adding a layer of warm dry air to the upper atmosphere that prevents clouds from growing. The U.S. Drought Monitor will release an updated report June 19, but as of June 10, about 75% of Palm Beach County was in moderate or severe drought. Statewide, the panhandle remains drought-free, but the majority of the peninsula is suffering from abnormally dry conditions to pockets of extreme drought in Lee County and Palm Beach County. 'It appears that the start of the wet season is on the drier side of normal, but more importantly the extended dry conditions that preceded it has kept us in a very dry position regionally,' said Tommy Strowd, the Lake Worth Drainage District's executive director. 'While drought conditions have eased somewhat in response to recent rainfall, they still generally persist across the Florida peninsula, particularly South Florida.' More: Palm Beach County gives go-ahead to controversial mining and water project on sugar land Strowd said groundwater levels and water levels in canals are generally in good shape because of the amount of Lake Okeechobee water that was released this year. The district was able to capture that water in its system of canals instead of it being sent to the ocean through the Lake Worth Lagoon, which damages the brackish ecosystem. The releases were part of the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual, which manages when and how much water should be let out of the lake for water supply, the well-being of the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries and the health of the lake itself. On June 18, Lake Okeechobee was 11.18 feet above sea level. That's down from 15.12 feet on Jan. 1 and a level that is allowing nascent recovery of some aquatic plants. The plants are the building block of the lake's ecosystem but die when water levels get too high and block sunlight. "The lake was in horrible shape," said United Water Fowlers Florida President Newton Cook at the June 5 meeting. "What is happening today will help bring it back and get the lake back to doing what it is supposed to do, and that is being the heart of the Everglades." Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Drought continues into South Florida's wet season but rain uptick expected
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
First heat wave of 'torrid summer' to hit Eastern Canada next week
The first heat wave of Summer 2025 is about to hit Eastern Canada, with temperatures climbing to the mid-30s early next week. Add the humidity from a wet spring and it will feel even hotter. We'd better get used to it, as it is signalling 'a torrid summer ahead,' says David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. 'We rarely go a year without a heat wave,' he says, 'but this will be the first one and people have to learn how to deal with it again.' The high pressure system will settle over southern and eastern Ontario as well as southern Quebec. It will edge into southeastern Manitoba on one side and western New Brunswick on the other. Contrasting this spate of heat with the renown 'polar vortex' of winter, Phillips refers to this phenomenon as a 'Bermuda High.' That's a semi-permanent, subtropical area of high pressure, which usually migrates east-west, back and forth across the North Atlantic, influencing weather patterns. Except this one is further west and further north than usual, says Phillips. 'It circulates southern air further north.' There's no doubt it will feel oppressive, says Phillips, adding that a heat dome squeezes air molecules, pressing them downward, creating heat from the friction. Moisture from a particularly wet spring will compound with the heat. There has been 30 to 40 per cent more precipitation than normal this year, he says. During the day the humidity may make it feel like 40 degrees Celsius or more. Another factor in the mix is the sunshine. Long summer days 'prevent the cool-off,' he says. At night, it will feel tropical, with temperatures above 20 C. The Maritimes won't get the extreme heat, but temperatures will rise, particularly in western New Brunswick. Western Canada has been experiencing heat already, with many hot, dry days (made worse by wildfire smoke), he says. But, he adds, in eastern Canada, people have been asking when the warmth is going to arrive. Normally, Eastern Canada would have several days in the 30s by now, says Phillips, but there were none in May and only one in June. Contrast that with Winnipeg, which he says has had nine or 10. 'In eastern Canada, people have felt left out, on the sidelines.' But now summer heat is arriving with a vengeance. It will be a three-day event with temperatures rising to the mid-30s in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, accompanied by nighttime temperatures in the 21-23 C range, with the humidex in the low to mid 40s. 'That's eight or nine degrees warmer than normal.' Ultimately, it seems we had better get used to this. All the weather-mapping models from Canada, the U.S. and Europe are predicting increasingly hot summers, says Phillips. 'This will be the first heat wave, but it's not going to be the last. We're going to see repetition throughout the summer.' He cautions that publicized high temperatures are measured in the shade. As a result, 'going out into the sun could add another seven to 10 degrees to the body. It's a lot of stress on the body. Too much.' It results in increased hospital admissions, he notes. 'People may not be dying in the streets but there is increased respiratory and cardiovascular distress.' The Canadian Red Cross urges people to stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the hottest period of the day. Drink plenty of cool fluids — even if you're not thirsty. And avoid alcohol and caffeine, as both can result in dehydration. Check regularly with the children and seniors in your life to ensure they are drinking enough water. Finally, says the Red Cross, be aware of the following signs of heat illness: dizziness or fainting; nausea or vomiting; headache; rapid breathing or heartbeat; extreme thirst; dark yellow urine; muscle cramps, especially in arms, legs, or stomach. Climate change made record-breaking Eastern Canada heat wave 'much more likely' Summer heatwave begins in one of world's hottest cities Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Time Out
First Montreal heat wave to hit this weekend bringing a phenomenon called a Bermuda High
Get ready: the first Montreal heat wave of summer 2025 is about to hit the city. With temperatures already reaching into the mid-30s, sweltering humidity from the recent wet weather will make it feel even hotter thanks to a humidex in the mid 40s. The summer 2025 forecast predicted a wet, humid summer in Montreal, and now we're in it. Starting on Sunday, Monday may see temperatures in Montreal rise up to 46 degrees celsius. The extreme heat event called a "Bermuda High" will last over three days. No better time to hit the beaches in and around Montreal, not to mention the outdoor pools, tree-lined parks and shady hiking areas. What is a Bermuda High? According to an Environment Canada meteorologist, this three-day heat event is called a Bermuda High, due to a semi-permanent subtropical area of high pressure that is further north than usual. It's time to check on your air conditioning: the southern air that is circulating further north will feel oppressive, and thanks to the abundant precipitation we've had over the past months (40 percent more than usual), the moisture will compound with the heat making it feel like 40 degrees celsius (or more). When will the heat wave hit Montreal? According to the Weather Network, things will really start to heat up on Sunday. Here's what to expect: Sunday, June 22: Expect a high of 30 degrees celsius that will feel like 40 degrees celsius Monday, June 23: The heat will reach 34 degrees celsius with a humidex soaring to 46 degrees celsius Tuesday, June 24 : The heat will hover around 33 degrees celsius and feel like 44 degrees celsius Why is Canada having heat waves? As greenhouse gas levels rise and drive global climate change, Canada is heating up at nearly twice the global average. With hotter springs and summers, we're seeing earlier snowmelt, more extreme heat waves, and ideal conditions for wildfires to spread.
