Latest news with #SaharanDust
CNN
02-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Is Atlantic hurricane season behind schedule? Here's what's really going on
The Atlantic hurricane season's first storms of the year have been short-lived rainmakers, dissipating after reaching tropical storm status. But while current conditions suggest July will remain sluggish, it's not a trend that will stick around in what's expected to be an above-average year. Andrea kicked off the season on June 24, with Barry following on June 29, both lasting less than a day. The National Hurricane Center has flagged an area for possible development over Florida, but regardless of whether this system is named, it will be a prolific rainmaker for the peninsula. The Eastern Pacific, on the other hand, has been bubbling. Hurricane Flossie — the basin's sixth named storm this season — is expected to sideswipe southwest Mexico this week with flood and mudslide potential. There's a balancing act at play when tropical systems develop. While ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are warm enough to fuel hurricanes, disruptive winds are quickly tearing apart the seedling storms. Saharan dust plumes are also inhibiting hurricane formation by wrapping dry air into storms. Weather models, which take into account several factors, give no solid indications that well-organized, long-lasting storms could develop through mid-July. In short: yes. July tends to be more of a waiting month during hurricane season. On average, only one named storm forms in July, and this year may feel especially slow because the storms that have been named were very short-lived. Both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins should be relatively quiet well into July, according to the Climate Prediction Center. But storms could still spin to life this month, and if any do, they have potential to be particularly dangerous. July storms in the Atlantic tend to develop in the shallow Caribbean or Gulf waters, which are warmer this time of year than other, deeper parts of the ocean. This can fuel rapid intensification and quick landfall, amping up the threat due to short warning lead times. Human-caused climate change is causing hurricanes to produce heavier rainfall and intensify more rapidly than in previous decades. As we move into August, attention shifts to what forecasters call the 'main development region' — a vast swath of ocean from the west coast of Africa across the central tropical Atlantic. That area usually spawns late-season storms, and it's where some of the strongest hurricanes originate. Atlantic hurricane season peaks in mid-September. This season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes, and 3 to 5 of these could reach major hurricane intensity of Category 3 or stronger. The agency said they are 70% confident in this particular outlook. Forecasters are used to dealing with uncertainty, but a new type of unpredictability is brewing this season. A crucial source of satellite data that hurricane forecasters use monitor changes in storm intensity is expected to be shut down at the end of July, reportedly due to cybersecurity concerns. NOAA was blindsided by this announcement, CNN reported, though the agency has publicly maintained there are many other data sources that will allow for accurate forecasts this season. The timing raises concerns, as the most active part of hurricane season takes place after July. As hurricane expert Michael Lowry noted on social media, 'The whole thing raises more questions than it answers. The satellites work. Why not keep the data flowing to scientists who use it to forecast the deadliest storms on earth?' This blow is dealt just as forecasters have also lost access to the fleet of drone boats that provided continuous, direct observations from below storms, and in the wake of staffing cuts throughout the agency. In 2025, when meteorologists know more about hurricane forecasting than ever before, forecasters may be heading into the most dangerous hurricane months with a critical blind spot.
CNN
02-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Is Atlantic hurricane season behind schedule? Here's what's really going on
The Atlantic hurricane season's first storms of the year have been short-lived rainmakers, dissipating after reaching tropical storm status. But while current conditions suggest July will remain sluggish, it's not a trend that will stick around in what's expected to be an above-average year. Andrea kicked off the season on June 24, with Barry following on June 29, both lasting less than a day. The National Hurricane Center has flagged an area for possible development over Florida, but regardless of whether this system is named, it will be a prolific rainmaker for the peninsula. The Eastern Pacific, on the other hand, has been bubbling. Hurricane Flossie — the basin's sixth named storm this season — is expected to sideswipe southwest Mexico this week with flood and mudslide potential. There's a balancing act at play when tropical systems develop. While ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are warm enough to fuel hurricanes, disruptive winds are quickly tearing apart the seedling storms. Saharan dust plumes are also inhibiting hurricane formation by wrapping dry air into storms. Weather models, which take into account several factors, give no solid indications that well-organized, long-lasting storms could develop through mid-July. In short: yes. July tends to be more of a waiting month during hurricane season. On average, only one named storm forms in July, and this year may feel especially slow because the storms that have been named were very short-lived. Both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins should be relatively quiet well into July, according to the Climate Prediction Center. But storms could still spin to life this month, and if any do, they have potential to be particularly dangerous. July storms in the Atlantic tend to develop in the shallow Caribbean or Gulf waters, which are warmer this time of year than other, deeper parts of the ocean. This can fuel rapid intensification and quick landfall, amping up the threat due to short warning lead times. Human-caused climate change is causing hurricanes to produce heavier rainfall and intensify more rapidly than in previous decades. As we move into August, attention shifts to what forecasters call the 'main development region' — a vast swath of ocean from the west coast of Africa across the central tropical Atlantic. That area usually spawns late-season storms, and it's where some of the strongest hurricanes originate. Atlantic hurricane season peaks in mid-September. This season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes, and 3 to 5 of these could reach major hurricane intensity of Category 3 or stronger. The agency said they are 70% confident in this particular outlook. Forecasters are used to dealing with uncertainty, but a new type of unpredictability is brewing this season. A crucial source of satellite data that hurricane forecasters use monitor changes in storm intensity is expected to be shut down at the end of July, reportedly due to cybersecurity concerns. NOAA was blindsided by this announcement, CNN reported, though the agency has publicly maintained there are many other data sources that will allow for accurate forecasts this season. The timing raises concerns, as the most active part of hurricane season takes place after July. As hurricane expert Michael Lowry noted on social media, 'The whole thing raises more questions than it answers. The satellites work. Why not keep the data flowing to scientists who use it to forecast the deadliest storms on earth?' This blow is dealt just as forecasters have also lost access to the fleet of drone boats that provided continuous, direct observations from below storms, and in the wake of staffing cuts throughout the agency. In 2025, when meteorologists know more about hurricane forecasting than ever before, forecasters may be heading into the most dangerous hurricane months with a critical blind spot.
CNN
02-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Is Atlantic hurricane season behind schedule? Here's what's really going on
The Atlantic hurricane season's first storms of the year have been short-lived rainmakers, dissipating after reaching tropical storm status. But while current conditions suggest July will remain sluggish, it's not a trend that will stick around in what's expected to be an above-average year. Andrea kicked off the season on June 24, with Barry following on June 29, both lasting less than a day. The National Hurricane Center has flagged an area for possible development over Florida, but regardless of whether this system is named, it will be a prolific rainmaker for the peninsula. The Eastern Pacific, on the other hand, has been bubbling. Hurricane Flossie — the basin's sixth named storm this season — is expected to sideswipe southwest Mexico this week with flood and mudslide potential. There's a balancing act at play when tropical systems develop. While ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are warm enough to fuel hurricanes, disruptive winds are quickly tearing apart the seedling storms. Saharan dust plumes are also inhibiting hurricane formation by wrapping dry air into storms. Weather models, which take into account several factors, give no solid indications that well-organized, long-lasting storms could develop through mid-July. In short: yes. July tends to be more of a waiting month during hurricane season. On average, only one named storm forms in July, and this year may feel especially slow because the storms that have been named were very short-lived. Both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins should be relatively quiet well into July, according to the Climate Prediction Center. But storms could still spin to life this month, and if any do, they have potential to be particularly dangerous. July storms in the Atlantic tend to develop in the shallow Caribbean or Gulf waters, which are warmer this time of year than other, deeper parts of the ocean. This can fuel rapid intensification and quick landfall, amping up the threat due to short warning lead times. Human-caused climate change is causing hurricanes to produce heavier rainfall and intensify more rapidly than in previous decades. As we move into August, attention shifts to what forecasters call the 'main development region' — a vast swath of ocean from the west coast of Africa across the central tropical Atlantic. That area usually spawns late-season storms, and it's where some of the strongest hurricanes originate. Atlantic hurricane season peaks in mid-September. This season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes, and 3 to 5 of these could reach major hurricane intensity of Category 3 or stronger. The agency said they are 70% confident in this particular outlook. Forecasters are used to dealing with uncertainty, but a new type of unpredictability is brewing this season. A crucial source of satellite data that hurricane forecasters use monitor changes in storm intensity is expected to be shut down at the end of July, reportedly due to cybersecurity concerns. NOAA was blindsided by this announcement, CNN reported, though the agency has publicly maintained there are many other data sources that will allow for accurate forecasts this season. The timing raises concerns, as the most active part of hurricane season takes place after July. As hurricane expert Michael Lowry noted on social media, 'The whole thing raises more questions than it answers. The satellites work. Why not keep the data flowing to scientists who use it to forecast the deadliest storms on earth?' This blow is dealt just as forecasters have also lost access to the fleet of drone boats that provided continuous, direct observations from below storms, and in the wake of staffing cuts throughout the agency. In 2025, when meteorologists know more about hurricane forecasting than ever before, forecasters may be heading into the most dangerous hurricane months with a critical blind spot.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant 'Saharan dust' plume swirls around Africa a week before it hit Florida
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Where is it? Mid-Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of West Africa What's in the photo? A giant, comma-shaped cloud of Saharan dust being blown out to sea Which satellite took the photo? GOES-19 When was it taken? May 28, 2025 Satellites recently snapped a giant cloud of "Saharan dust" blowing out to sea from the world's largest hot desert. The hazy mass later traveled more than 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) to North America, where it polluted the skies of Florida and other states. In the early hours of May 28, 2025, a large cloud of dust and sand began to blow out from the Sahara and over the Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Around a week later, on June 4, the cloud made landfall in Florida, with the plume also reaching Louisiana, Texas and other parts of the Gulf Coast. En route, it also briefly filled the skies of several Caribbean nations, including Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. A photo captured by the GOES-19 satellite, which is co-run by NASA and NOAA, revealed the cloud as it first began its transatlantic journey. At the time, it covered an area of roughly 240,000 square miles (620,000 square km) between Cabo Verde — an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the mid-Atlantic — and the coast of West Africa, including the shorelines of Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The dust cloud was a "particularly robust, comma-shaped plume," representatives from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University wrote on Bluesky. However, soon after the photo was taken, the cloud dispersed, making it "appear larger in size." Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) also captured shots of the plume as it moved across the Atlantic, Live Science's sister site reported. Related: See all the best images of Earth from space In Florida, the plume caused a brief reduction in air quality that may have impacted people with respiratory conditions. The state's skies remained hazy for around 48 hours before the majority of the dust settled — some of which was later visible on windows and cars. A second, smaller plume reached the U.S. between June 13 and 15. Saharan dust can have several other surprising effects. "When it reaches the U.S., it can cause hazy skies as well as vivid sunrises and sunsets as the sun's rays scatter the dust in the atmosphere," NOAA representatives wrote. "It can even suppress thunderstorm development over locations where the dust is especially thick." Saharan dust gets whipped up by strong gusts of wind, which occur much more frequently in deserts than other environments, and can reach several miles above Earth's surface, according to the U.K. Met Office. This mainly happens between late spring and early fall. Once the dust is airborne, it hovers above the desert in a region known as the "Saharan Air Layer" — a roughly 2.5-mile-wide (4 km) band of very dry air that forms around 1 mile (1.6 km) above the Sahara desert. Every three to five days, the accumulated dust gets blown out to sea, and if there is enough of it, the particulates form large plumes that can travel across entire oceans, according to NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, which helps monitor the Saharan Air Layer. MORE EARTH FROM SPACE —Successive lightning strikes illuminate eye of tropical cyclone in rare photos —3 hurricanes form a perfect line before smashing into land —Near-lifeless 'Land of Terror' looks like an alien landscape in the Sahara Saharan dust plumes of various sizes reach the U.S. every year, usually peaking in intensity between June and August. One of the most famous examples in recent years was the "Godzilla" plume, which hit large parts of the southern U.S. in June 2020. During this two-week-long event, the amount of dust reached the highest levels since satellites began tracking plumes 18 years previously, according to a 2021 study.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
South Florida in for a hot and humid week, with "feels like" temps in the upper 90s
South Florida is in for another hot and humid week with a low chance of rain. Monday got off to a warm and muggy start with temperatures in the low to mid 80s. A few stray showers moved across the area. The chance of rain is low for the day, only about 10%, and any showers that develop will likely occur in the morning along the coast and then push inland and to the west by the afternoon. Highs will soar to around 90 degrees in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies and it will feel like the mid to upper 90s when you factor in the humidity. There is a moderate risk of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches and the UV index is extreme. There are no alerts or advisories for boaters along the Atlantic or Florida Keys waters. Low chances of rain for the week. NEXT Weather High pressure remains in control and the chance of rain stays low at only 10% for Tuesday. Isolated showers will be possible in the morning and then the wet weather will be steered to our west with the onshore breeze. Highs will stay seasonably hot, around 90 degrees, in the afternoon. Mid to late week the chance of rain rises only slightly with the potential for spotty showers. Highs will climb to 90 degrees. Some Saharan dust may return to South Florida later in the week. The tropics remain quiet for now and tropical systems are not expected over the next 7 days.
