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CNN
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNN
Why the US is under water
Climate changeFacebookTweetLink Follow Texas. North Carolina. Illinois. New Mexico. New York City. Flash flooding has surged into the spotlight this summer with record-breaking flood events occurring nearly back-to-back across the country. Slow-moving thunderstorms in Texas unleashed more than an entire summer's worth of rain on July 4, sending water surging over river banks and killing more than 130 people. The same weekend, Tropical Storm Chantal poured nearly a foot of rain over parts of central North Carolina, causing the Eno River to crest at over 25 feet and shattering a record previously set during Hurricane Fran in 1996. The flooding killed at least six people. Those floods were followed by a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event to Chicago and storms that caused unprecedented levels of flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, that swept away homes and left three people dead. All were extreme and came in quick succession — here's why they happened now and why floods are becoming more intense. Flash floods are most common in the summer months, when intense daytime heat helps fuel thunderstorms. Warmer air can also hold more moisture, giving storms more potential to produce higher rainfall rates than when temperatures are cooler. In Texas, storms were fueled by record levels of atmospheric moisture lingering from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. In North Carolina, Chantal's tropical moisture played a similar role, helping to drive the intense rainfall that led to deadly flash flooding. Summer storms also tend to move more slowly. That's partly because upper-level winds in the atmosphere weaken during summer when there's less of a temperature difference between the equator and the Earth's poles and the jet stream shifts farther north. When storms slow down or stall, rain can pile up over the same area for hours and fall faster than the ground can absorb it or infrastructure can drain it, setting the stage for a flash flood. That's what happened in Texas' Hill Country, where a nearly stationary thunderstorm dumped over 7 inches of rain, and in Chicago, where a stalled storm system dropped as much as 5 inches of rain in just 90 minutes, quickly inundating low-lying streets and some homes. In urban areas, pavement and asphalt can cause even more problems, keeping water from soaking into the ground and sending it instead toward storm drains that can quickly overflow or become clogged with debris. Prev Next A history of wildfires also increases an area's risk of flash flooding, as Ruidoso has seen since last summer's devastating South Fork and Salt Fires. When vegetation burns away, landscapes lose their natural ability to absorb and slow down rainwater. On top of that, the extreme heat of a fire can alter the soil itself, creating a water-repellent layer just below the surface. Rainfall on this 'burn scarred' land tends to run off rapidly — especially in steep terrain — increasing flash flooding risks even if a storm's rainfall isn't extreme. Ruidoso and nearby areas have been under at least 12 separate flash flood emergencies since the 2024 wildfires. Droughts have a similar effect: When soil dries out over long periods, it can become compacted or even crusted over, reducing its ability to absorb water. Severe to extreme preexisting drought conditions helped amplify flooding in both Texas and New Mexico over the past week. Climate change from fossil fuel pollution is amplifying the conditions that make flash floods more likely and more severe. For every degree Celsius (about 2 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, the atmosphere can hold roughly 7% more water vapor — giving storms more fuel for intense rainfall. And as the overall global temperature increases, moisture-rich air that was once confined to the warm tropics can reach farther from the equator, bringing intense, tropical rainfall to more parts of the world. At the same time, wildfires and droughts are becoming more frequent and severe as the world warms, leading to more burn scars and flood vulnerability in fire-prone regions. 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. In Chicago, for example, the average intensity has gone up 8%, and Tuesday's staggering rainfall rates surpassed records set in the 1970s for the city's most extreme short-duration rainfall. Many of the nation's roads, sewers and drainage systems were not designed to handle the kind of rainfall events that are now becoming more common. Flash flooding has always been a summertime threat, but the risks are evolving. As the atmosphere warms and rainfall patterns continue to shift, more communities could face extreme rainfall events in the years ahead.
North Wales Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
BGT's Han & Fran to star in Venue Cymru's Cinderella panto!
The vocal pair wowed audiences across the UK on this year's Britain's Got Talent and made a dramatic return to the contest as the judges' wildcard after their semi-final exit. Han & Fran will be joining TV favourites and dancing brothers AJ and Curtis Pritchard, who reprise their critically acclaimed roles as Prince Charming and Dandini. Also returning to the cast is much-loved panto star John Evans. Han & Fran will play the Wicked Stepsisters in Venue Cymru's Cinderella Panto 2025! (Image: Venue Cymru / Submitted) Fran (Fran Cottington) said: 'Being in Panto this year is a dream come true. Having watched Llandudno's pantomime every year with my two children, it's amazing that they now get to come and watch their mum on that stage with the most incredible cast, and it means the world that I get to do it in my hometown'. Han (Hannah Roberts) said: 'Performing at Venue Cymru as one of the Wicked Stepsisters, in front of the people who've supported me all the way from Britain's Got Talent to now is so exciting, and I am so thrilled to perform in my hometown theatre'. Venue Cymru's Amanda Guy said: 'Han and Fran have had a fantastic year, with the local community proudly rallying behind them on their incredible Britain's Got Talent journey. "We're thrilled to be welcoming them to our stage this Christmas - get ready for a magical, festive performance!' MORE NEWS The classic tale follows Cinderella, who spends her days working tirelessly while dreaming of a brighter future. When an invitation to the royal ball arrives, it seems her dreams might finally come true. But will her Wicked Stepsisters succeed in ruining her shot at happiness? Or will her Fairy Godmother and loyal friend Buttons help foil their wicked plans? RELATED NEWS Packed with hilarious slapstick comedy, magical musical numbers and plenty of audience interaction, Cinderella promises to be the ultimate rags-to-riches adventure for all ages. So, will a pair of glass slippers really change Cinderella's life? Theatre-goers will have to put on their glad-rags and head to the ball to find out! Book tickets at Cinderella will run at Venue Cymru from December 12 2025 until January 3 2026.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Tropical trouble could be brewing around Florida, hurricane forecasters say
A broad area of low pressure could develop offshore of the southeastern U.S. coast. Regardless of development, the area of disturbed weather is expected to be a rainmaker in the region. USA TODAY Another potential tropical disturbance popped up on the National Hurricane Center's tracking chart on Saturday, July 12. For those who watch every potential storm closely, this initial map looks a lot like the first one that popped up for Tropical Storm Chantal. The possible development area swoops from the Atlantic to the Gulf across much of Florida, but this time the system is moving toward the Gulf, and the advisory includes the southern shores of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. A broad area of low pressure could develop sometime within the next several days offshore of the southeastern U.S. coast, the hurricane center said on the afternoon of July 12. Environmental conditions could become "marginally conducive" for the gradual development of a system within five to seven days as it moves westward across Florida. The chances of development are low, only 20%. If for some reason, a tropical storm does develop, the next name on the list this season is Dexter. "Should development take place on the Atlantic side of Florida, it may once again drift northward toward the U.S. coast," Accuweather said on July 11. The more plausible option is development on the Gulf side, which could be steered westward along the northern Gulf Coast, the weather forecast company stated. Regardless of development, the area of disturbed weather is expected to be a rainmaker in the region. Heavy rain is possible over parts of Florida and the Southeast coast through mid-to-late week, the center stated in the July 12 advisory. Tropical weather watchers say windshear over the Caribbean and dry air and Saharan dust over the Atlantic have helped keep this hurricane season from getting too busy so far. Still Chantal's development put the 2025 hurricane season about a month ahead of schedule. Typically the third Atlantic named storm doesn't form until August 3, according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, who leads its seasonal outlooks for the Atlantic hurricane season each year. The season was forecast to see above normal activity, however the latest forecast from Klotzbach and his team slightly reduced the number of possible storms. What happened to Tropical Storm Chantal? Chantal formed off the Southeast U.S. coast on July 4, then moved over the Carolinas. Heavy rains flooded parts of North Carolina, claiming six lives. The Haw River crested at 32.5 feet, only a third of a foot away from its all-time high, set after Hurricane Fran in 1996, according to the weather service office in Raleigh. Chantal also spawned four EF-1 tornadoes in North Carolina, one each in Mebane, Snow Camp, southern Pittsboro and at the Raleigh Executive Jetport. The highest rainfall totals were reported in Chatham County, where 11.92 inches were reported in Moncure and Pittsboro, where the weather service collected five other rainfall reports of between 10 and 11.5 inches.
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ALEXANDRA SHULMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Perfect night is ruined... by a swarm of flying ants
We were in the garden early one evening last week, planning to have supper with friends and enjoy the long, warm night. The wine was opened, the dips were in place and the gossiping had started. And then, we started to notice them. The ants. At first there was the odd one on the table which could be swiped away, but soon it became obvious something very strange was happening. The ants were flying in rather than crawling up from the floor, landing on our arms, legs and in our hair, dropping into the glasses of wine. Being very British and wanting to make the most of this warm weather, we tried to ignore them, but eventually there was no denying that this was deeply unpleasant. The ants were falling down the front of shirts and dresses. Ant-laced houmous is nobody's ideal dip. I feared for what would happen once I brought out the pasta. Eventually we admitted defeat and moved back indoors. 'It's the Night of the Flying Ants,' my friend Fran said, which sounded like an old Eastern proverb rather than an actual event. But she turned out to be correct. It was indeed The Night of the Flying Ants, which is a brief period when young queens leave their nests to mate and start new colonies. They leave on the same night but unfortunately, they hang around romancing for several days. It happens during a very hot spell, usually in July. I have yet to discover whether there is a connection between the ants and the swarm of ladybirds that stopped play at the Test Match between England and India at Lord's the following evening. I'll never learn to get over tennis FOMO FOMO – the fear of missing out – is not a condition I suffer from in any circumstance other than around tennis. I couldn't care less about not being invited to a party, but with a fantastic Wimbledon that has kept me glued to the telly more than ever, I lament not being part of a tennis-playing gang. To put this into context: I used to be quite good at tennis. As a child I had lessons and our father was determined his offspring would play brilliantly. 'Keep your eye on the ball till it hits the racquet,' he would shout. Although I was never a likely rival to Martina Navratilova, I was passable. Tennis was one of the few games I enjoyed, and until relatively recently I played singles matches and also felt confident enough to join in a game of doubles, not minding if I was the least talented player. But in the past year or so something has changed and in comparison to others around me I am now really hopeless – and the more hopeless I am, the less inclined I am to play. It's not helped by my entirely unscientific survey of tennis players of my acquaintance, which concludes that they come into the hyper-competitive personality type. There is an obvious solution to all this, which would be to have some lessons, but that is where the problem really lies. As soon as I have to learn something, it becomes a chore rather than a pleasure, so despite the fact that I could no doubt scrub up my game, I stubbornly refuse to get coaching. The odd foray into taking lessons only confirms that I simply don't want someone to tell me to change my grip. So, the truth is I'm probably stuck now as the outsider. Perhaps it's not traditional FOMO I am experiencing but Frustration Of Missing Out. With only myself to blame. We all have one of doze days, Hugh... My sympathies to actor Hugh Grant, who was shown on television having a nice snooze in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. As a borderline narcoleptic myself, I am frequently falling asleep at inappropriate moments. The last was at home at a dinner we were giving when I jolted awake to hear myself saying to my boyfriend, much to the astonishment of the assembled guests: 'David, I think it's time we went home.' Why the caped look is out of this world It's hard to know what's going on with the trend for caped evening wear. Both Brigitte Macron and the Princess of Wales appeared in caped gowns at the Windsor State banquet last week, while Princess Maxima of Netherlands wore a vibrant lime green caped jumpsuit at a Nato summit in The Hague. They certainly looked impressive but in a strangely androgynous comic book way. More like an empress in a sci-fi world than a glamorous woman on Earth. Failed memory test I won't easily forget On the 'no good deed goes unpunished' front, I was invited to take part in a survey by Imperial Health Care. Since Imperial were in charge of an operation for cancer I had last year, I thought I should give something back for their research and agreed. The first section was fine, with the usual enquiries about previous illness, gender, race etc. The second part was about cognitive ability. No problem, I thought. But by their calculations I come into the bottom 30 per cent for my age in just about every category including planning, verbal reasoning, and delayed and immediate memory. I accept I'm never going to be a good tennis player but… really? Accessories that are only for moneybags It's unfathomable that anybody would pay £7.4 million for a handbag, even the original Birkin just sold at Sotheby's. But then it's equally unfathomable that the most sought-after contemporary handbags cost what they do. The Row's Marlo leather bag comes in at £5,380 and is the go-to for those-in-the-know wealthy shoppers. Worth is only what somebody is prepared to pay.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Tropical trouble could be brewing around Florida, hurricane forecasters say
A broad area of low pressure could develop sometime within the next several days offshore of the southeastern U.S. coast. Another potential tropical disturbance popped up on the National Hurricane Center's tracking chart on Saturday, July 12. For those who watch every potential storm closely, this initial map looks a lot like the first one that popped up for Tropical Storm Chantal. The possible development area swoops from the Atlantic to the Gulf across much of Florida, but this time the system is moving toward the Gulf, and the advisory includes the southern shores of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. A broad area of low pressure could develop sometime within the next several days offshore of the southeastern U.S. coast, the hurricane center said on the afternoon of July 12. Environmental conditions could become "marginally conducive" for the gradual development of a system within five to seven days as it moves westward across Florida. The chances of development are low, only 20%. If for some reason, a tropical storm does develop, the next name on the list this season is Dexter. "Should development take place on the Atlantic side of Florida, it may once again drift northward toward the U.S. coast," Accuweather said on July 11. The more plausible option is development on the Gulf side, which could be steered westward along the northern Gulf Coast, the weather forecast company stated. Regardless of development, the area of disturbed weather is expected to be a rainmaker in the region. Heavy rain is possible over parts of Florida and the Southeast coast through mid-to-late week, the center stated in the July 12 advisory. Tropical weather watchers say windshear over the Caribbean and dry air and Saharan dust over the Atlantic have helped keep this hurricane season from getting too busy so far. Still Chantal's development put the 2025 hurricane season about a month ahead of schedule. Typically the third Atlantic named storm doesn't form until August 3, according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, who leads its seasonal outlooks for the Atlantic hurricane season each year. The season was forecast to see above normal activity, however the latest forecast from Klotzbach and his team slightly reduced the number of possible storms. What happened to Tropical Storm Chantal? Chantal formed off the Southeast U.S. coast on July 4, then moved over the Carolinas. Heavy rains flooded parts of North Carolina, claiming six lives. Chantal victims: At least six deaths were reported in flooding in North Carolina The Haw River crested at 32.5 feet, only a third of a foot away from its all-time high, set after Hurricane Fran in 1996, according to the weather service office in Raleigh. Chantal also spawned four EF-1 tornadoes in North Carolina, one each in Mebane, Snow Camp, southern Pittsboro and at the Raleigh Executive Jetport. The highest rainfall totals were reported in Chatham County, where 11.92 inches were reported in Moncure and Pittsboro, where the weather service collected five other rainfall reports of between 10 and 11.5 inches. Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
