Latest news with #southeast
Tahawul Tech
8 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
How did Google's earthquake warning system fail in 2023?
Google has admitted to a failure of its earthquake early warning system to accurately alert people during Türkiye's deadly 2023 quake. Ten million people within 98 miles of the epicentre could have been sent Google's highest level alert – giving up to 35 seconds of warning to find safety. Instead, only 469 'Take Action' warnings were sent out for the first 7.8 magnitude quake. Google told the BBC half a million people were sent a lower level warning, which is designed for 'light shaking', and does not alert users in the same prominent way. The tech giant previously told the BBC the system had 'performed well' after an investigation in 2023. The alerts system is available in just under 100 countries – and is described by Google as a 'global safety net' often operating in countries with no other warning system. Google's system, named Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA), is run by the Silicon Valley firm – not individual countries. The system works on Android devices, which make up more than 70% of the phones in Türkiye. More than 55,000 people died when two major earthquakes hit south-east Türkiye on 6 February 2023, more than 100,000 were injured. Many were asleep in buildings that collapsed around them when the tremors hit. Google's early warning system was in place and live on the day of the quakes – however it underestimated how strong the earthquakes were. 'We continue to improve the system based on what we learn in each earthquake', a Google spokesperson said. How it works Google's system, is able to detect shaking from a vast number of mobile phones that use the Android operating system. Because earthquakes move relatively slowly through the earth, a warning can then be sent out. Google's most serious warning is called 'Take Action', which sets off a loud alarm on a user's phone – overriding a Do Not Disturb setting – and covering their screen. This is the warning that is supposed to be sent to people when stronger shaking is detected that could threaten human life. AEA also has a less serious 'Be Aware' warning, designed to inform users of potential lighter shaking – a warning that does not override a device on Do Not Disturb. The Take Action alert was especially important in Türkiye due to the catastrophic shaking and because the first earthquake struck at 04:17, when many users would have been asleep. Only the more serious alert would have woken them. In the months after the earthquake the BBC wanted to speak to users who had been given this warning – initially with aims to showcase the effectiveness of the technology. But despite speaking to people in towns and cities across the zone impacted by the earthquake, over a period of months, we couldn't find anyone who had received a more serious Take Action notification before the quake struck. BBC published their findings later that year. Google researchers have written in the Science journal details of what went wrong, citing 'limitations to the detection algorithms'. For the first earthquake, the system estimated the shaking at between 4.5 and 4.9 on the moment magnitude scale (MMS) when it was actually a 7.8. A second large earthquake later that day was also underestimated, with the system this time sending Take Action alerts to 8,158 phones and Be Aware alerts to just under four million users. After the earthquake Google's researchers changed the algorithm, and simulated the first earthquake again. This time, the system generated 10 million Take Action alerts to those at most risk – and a further 67 million Be Aware alerts to those living further away from the epicentre 'Every earthquake early warning system grapples with the same challenge – tuning algorithms for large magnitude events,' Google told the BBC. But Elizabeth Reddy, assistant professor at Colorado School of Mines, says it is concerning it took more than two years to get this information. 'I'm really frustrated that it took so long,' she said 'We're not talking about a little event – people died – and we didn't see a performance of this warning in the way we would like.' Google says the system is supposed to be supplementary and is not a replacement for national systems. However some scientists worry countries are placing too much faith in tech that has not been fully tested. 'I think being very transparent about how well it works is absolutely critical,' Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, told the BBC. 'Would some places make the calculation that Google's doing it, so we don't have to?' Google researchers say post-event analysis has better improved the system – and AEA has pushed out alerts in 98 countries. The BBC has asked Google how AEA performed during the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar, but has yet to receive a response. Source: BBC News Image Credit: Google
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Eastern US swelters from heatwave as high temperatures affect half of country
The eastern half of the US is facing a significant heatwave, with more than 185 million people under warnings due to intense and widespread heat conditions on Monday. The south-east is likely to endure the most dangerous temperatures as the extreme heat spread across the region on Monday, spanning from the Carolinas through Florida. In these areas, heat index values (how hot it feels once humidity is accounted for) are forecast to range between 105 and 113F (40.5 to 45C). Some locations in Mississippi and Louisiana face an even greater threat, with the heat index possibly soaring as high as 120F (49C). Meanwhile, the midwest isn't escaping the heat. Conditions there remain hazardous into Monday and Tuesday, after a weekend in which temperatures felt as if they were between 97 and 111F (36 to 44C) in areas from Lincoln, Nebraska, north to Minneapolis. Cities such as Des Moines, St Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Raleigh are under extreme heat warnings. In these locations, temperatures will climb into the mid-90s and low 100s, with heat indices potentially reaching 110 to 115F. The most dangerous conditions, classified as level 4 out of 4 on the heat risk scale, encompass much of Florida and extend north into Georgia and the Carolinas. A broader level 3 zone stretches from the eastern plains through the midwest and into the mid-Atlantic. This follows a weekend already dominated by extreme temperatures. Tampa experienced an unprecedented milestone on Sunday when it reached 100F (37.8C). Other cities also broke daily temperature records, and more are expected to follow suit. The dangerous heat and humidity are expected to persist through midweek, affecting major metropolitan areas including St Louis, Memphis, Charlotte, Savannah, Tampa and Jackson, Mississippi. Actual air temperatures will climb into the upper 90s and low 100s, while heat index readings are expected to remain between 105 and 115F for several days due to high tropical moisture. Relief will be hard to find, even during the night. Overnight and early morning temperatures are forecast to dip only into the 70s or above, keeping conditions uncomfortable around the clock. However, a cold front moving in later this week is expected to bring a drop in temperatures across the eastern US, offering a much-needed break from the extreme heat by the weekend. Elsewhere, triple-digit temperatures will dominate the central US. The combination of soaring heat and dense humidity in the Mississippi River valley and central plains could make conditions especially hazardous, with some areas possibly seeing the heat index reach 120F. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Data suggests that there are more than 1,300 deaths per year in the US due to extreme heat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. While no one single weather event can be blamed on the global climate crisis, the warming world is experiencing a greater frequency of extreme weather incidents. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), excessive heat is already the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US, and the problem is only intensifying. For vulnerable populations, such as migrants, prisoners or schoolchildren in under-cooled buildings, the burden of rising temperatures is compounded. Despite the increasingly crucial need to find solutions for the rising temperatures, many US agencies are currently understaffed due to cuts from the Trump administration and the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge). Federal science agencies such as Noaa are now operating at reduced capacity despite the outsized weather threats. Hundreds of meteorologists have left the National Weather Service in recent months, and several offices, including Houston, have had to scale back the services they provide.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Eastern US swelters from heatwave as high temperatures affect half of country
The eastern half of the US is facing a significant heatwave, with more than 185 million people under warnings due to intense and widespread heat conditions on Monday. The south-east is likely to endure the most dangerous temperatures as the extreme heat spread across the region on Monday, spanning from the Carolinas through Florida. In these areas, heat index values (how hot it feels once humidity is accounted for) are forecast to range between 105 and 113F. Some locations in Mississippi and Louisiana face an even greater threat, with the heat index possibly soaring as high as 120F. Meanwhile, the midwest isn't escaping the heat. Conditions there remain hazardous into Monday and Tuesday, after a weekend in which temperatures felt as if they were between 97 and 111F in areas from Lincoln, Nebraska, north to Minneapolis. Cities such as Des Moines, St Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Raleigh are under extreme heat warnings. In these locations, temperatures will climb into the mid-90s and low 100s, with heat indices potentially reaching 110 to 115F. The most dangerous conditions, classified as level 4 out of 4 on the heat risk scale, encompass much of Florida and extend north into Georgia and the Carolinas. A broader level 3 zone stretches from the eastern plains through the midwest and into the mid-Atlantic. This follows a weekend already dominated by extreme temperatures. Tampa experienced an unprecedented milestone on Sunday when it reached 100 degrees. Other cities also broke daily temperature records, and more are expected to follow suit. The dangerous heat and humidity are expected to persist through midweek, affecting major metropolitan areas including St Louis, Memphis, Charlotte, Savannah, Tampa and Jackson, Mississippi. Actual air temperatures will climb into the upper 90s and low 100s, while heat index readings are expected to remain between 105 and 115F for several days due to high tropical moisture. Relief will be hard to find, even during the night. Overnight and early morning temperatures are forecast to dip only into the 70s or above, keeping conditions uncomfortable around the clock. However, a cold front moving in later this week is expected to bring a drop in temperatures across the eastern US, offering a much-needed break from the extreme heat by the weekend. Elsewhere, triple-digit temperatures will dominate the central US. The combination of soaring heat and dense humidity in the Mississippi River valley and central plains could make conditions especially hazardous, with some areas possibly seeing the heat index reach 120F. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Data suggests that there are more than 1,300 deaths per year in the US due to extreme heat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. While no one single weather event can be blamed on the global climate crisis, the warming world is experiencing a greater frequency of extreme weather incidents. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), excessive heat is already the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US, and the problem is only intensifying. For vulnerable populations, such as migrants, prisoners or schoolchildren in under-cooled buildings, the burden of rising temperatures is compounded. Despite the increasingly crucial need to find solutions for the rising temperatures, many US agencies are currently understaffed due to cuts from the Trump administration and the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge). Federal science agencies such as Noaa are now operating at reduced capacity despite the outsized weather threats. Hundreds of meteorologists have left the National Weather Service in recent months, and several offices, including Houston, have had to scale back the services they provide.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Google failed to warn 10 million of Turkey earthquake
Google has admitted its earthquake early warning system failed to accurately alert people during Turkey's deadly quake of 2023. Ten million people within 98 miles of the epicentre could have been sent Google's highest level alert - giving up to 35 seconds of warning to find safety. Instead, only 469 "Take Action" warnings were sent out for the first 7.8 magnitude quake. Google told the BBC half a million people were sent a lower level warning, which is designed for "light shaking", and does not alert users in the same prominent way. The tech giant previously told the BBC the system had "performed well". The system works on Android devices, which make up more than 70% of the phones in Turkey. More than 55,000 people died when two major earthquakes hit south-east Turkey on 6 February 2023, more than 100,000 were injured. Many were asleep in buildings that collapsed around them when the tremors hit. Google's early warning system was in place and live on the day of the quakes – however it underestimated how strong the earthquakes were. "We continue to improve the system based on what we learn in each earthquake", a Google spokesperson said. How it works Google's system, named Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA), is able to detect shaking from a vast number of mobile phones that use the Android operating system. Because earthquakes move relatively slowly through the earth, a warning can then be sent out. Google's most serious warning is called "Take Action", which sets off a loud alarm on a user's phone - overriding a Do Not Disturb setting - and covering their screen. This is the warning that is supposed to be sent to people when stronger shaking is detected that could threaten human life. AEA also has a less serious "Be Aware" warning, designed to inform users of potential lighter shaking - a warning that does not override a device on Do Not Disturb. The Take Action alert was especially important in Turkey due to the catastrophic shaking and because the first earthquake struck at 04:17, when many users would have been asleep. Only the more serious alert would have woken them. In the months after the earthquake the BBC wanted to speak to users who had been given this warning - initially with aims to showcase the effectiveness of the technology. But despite speaking to people in towns and cities across the zone impacted by the earthquake, over a period of months, we couldn't find anyone who had received a more serious Take Action notification before the quake struck. We published our findings later that year. 'Limitations' Google researchers have written in the Science journal details of what went wrong, citing "limitations to the detection algorithms". For the first earthquake, the system estimated the shaking at between 4.5 and 4.9 on the moment magnitude scale (MMS) when it was actually a 7.8. A second large earthquake later that day was also underestimated, with the system this time sending Take Action alerts to 8,158 phones and Be Aware alerts to just under four million users. After the earthquake Google's researchers changed the algorithm, and simulated the first earthquake again. This time, the system generated 10 million Take Action alerts to those at most risk – and a further 67 million Be Aware alerts to those living further away from the epicentre "Every earthquake early warning system grapples with the same challenge - tuning algorithms for large magnitude events," Google told the BBC. But Elizabeth Reddy, assistant professor at Colorado School of Mines, says it is concerning it took more than two years to get this information. "I'm really frustrated that it took so long," she said "We're not talking about a little event - people died - and we didn't see a performance of this warning in the way we would like." Google says the system is supposed to be supplementary and is not a replacement for national systems. However some scientists worry countries are placing too much faith in tech that has not been fully tested. "I think being very transparent about how well it works is absolutely critical," Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, told the BBC. "Would some places make the calculation that Google's doing it, so we don't have to?" Google researchers say post-event analysis has better improved the system - and AEA has pushed out alerts in 98 countries. The BBC has asked Google how AEA performed during the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar, but has yet to receive a response. How a grieving mother exposed the truth of Turkey's deadly earthquake Beverley man remembers family lost in Turkey quake Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Wood heater pollution is a silent killer. Here's where the smoke is worst
Every year the winter cold brings an ambient haze of wood heater smoke to the suburbs, streets and houses of southern Australia. This smoke can aggravate asthma, divide neighbours and drive people inside. Now, new modelling gives a clearer picture of its toll on the nation's health. The Centre for Safe Air at the University of Tasmania estimates long-term exposure to wood-heater smoke causes 729 premature deaths every year in Australia, which is more than the deaths attributable to emissions from the national fleet of 20 million vehicles, or from energy generation, or even bushfires. Along with this figure, the Centre has built the first national map of wood-heater emissions and deaths attributable to these emissions, with a resolution that can pick out clusters of suburbs most at risk. Cost-of-living pressures, power price hikes and a wood-heater sales boom during COVID may mean more houses are burning wood than ever before. Meanwhile, Australians are increasingly aware the smoke is a risk to their health. Neighbourly bust-ups over the issue appear to be on the rise. Here's where the smoke is worst, and where long-term exposure is costing the most lives. The Centre for Safe Air combined particulate pollution readings from around Australia with surveys of wood heater use to generate its national map of wood heater pollution. Let's focus on the cities in the south-east corner of Australia, which has the highest concentration of wood heaters. The map below shows total wood heater emissions by kilograms per year in 2015. As you might expect, the wood smoke is generally thickest in regional areas. Towns like Armidale in NSW or Devonport in Tasmania have well-documented smoke problems. "In small communities where every second person has a wood heater, you do get that pall of smoke and it's really dense," Fay Johnston, lead investigator at the Centre, said. But wood heater smoke is not solely a regional issue. In fact, when we look at its public health impact, or how wood smoke affects the population as a whole, we find wood smoke causes more harm in capital cities than in regional areas. Every morning, Lisa checks her neighbour's chimney for white smoke. The young mother, who asked to remain anonymous, realised there was a wood-smoke problem soon after moving with her family to Sydney's Sutherland Shire. "[The neighbour] runs the wood heater most weekday evenings and throughout the weekend, so we can't open our windows, can't access our backyard," she said. "Our other neighbour says their cat smells of smoke." She said she was forced to keep her toddler inside on bad smoke days, worried about his health. When she politely raised the issue with the wood-burning neighbours, she said they responded defensively: "They said 'We've been doing this for 20 years and no-one else has complained.'" Wood smoke contains tiny airborne particles that can be trapped in our lungs. Long-term exposure can cause heart- and lung disease. Short-term exposure can aggravate asthma or worsen pre-existing heart conditions. Even a low background exposure to wood smoke can have a measurable public health impact. Wood heaters are so polluting, it only takes a relatively small number of homes burning wood to expose millions of people in a city to pollution, Professor Johnston from the Centre for Safe Air said. By combining this measured effect of wood smoke on health with the estimate of wood heater emissions in different parts of the country, the Centre created a second national map, showing the public health impact of wood smoke. The map below shows estimated earlier-than-expected deaths per 100,000 people due to exposure to wood-heater smoke. The top regions are in south-east Australia. The public health impact of wood smoke squarely falls hardest on the relatively heavily populated cities, even though the concentration of wood smoke may be lower than in some regional towns. And there's one city where the public health impact is greatest. Perhaps surprisingly, given their cooler climates, it's not Hobart or Melbourne. A higher proportion of people die earlier in Lisa's home city of Sydney than expected due to wood-heater pollution than other parts of south-east Australia. This is partly due to its topography, with the harbour and surrounding land forming a bowl that traps smoke. "Our topography definitely lends itself to trapping air pollutants within the Sydney basin," Peter Irga, an expert in air quality at the University of Technology Sydney, said. "Other than Launceston, the other major cities don't have that basin topography." Within this bowl, "middle suburbs" such as Parramatta or Marrickville have a combination of high population density, freestanding homes with chimneys, and access to relatively cheap firewood. About 5 per cent of homes in Sydney own a wood heater, but the Centre for Safe Air's modelling suggests these relatively few emitters cause more than 300 earlier-than-expected deaths in the city every year. "The modelled estimate of deaths attributable to wood heater particulate pollution are higher than that those attributable to motor vehicle particulate pollution," Professor Johnston said. "Wood heaters really punch above their weight when it comes to putting pollution into the atmosphere, relative to the benefit they give us in terms of heat. But these maps don't tell the full story. The modelling relies on air-quality measurement stations dotted around the country that don't capture the emissions for those directly downwind of wood heater chimneys. It's here, at the very local scale, that smoke can be thickest. And where there's smoke, there's often angry neighbours. Arabella Daniel, a Melbourne-based community organiser against wood heater pollution, said it was "a neighbour against neighbour issue". Ms Daniel, who once took legal action against a neighbour over wood smoke, runs the My Air Quality Australia Facebook page, which has 3,000 members. "We've really had a surge in members in the last 12 months," she said. About 10 per cent of households use wood heaters as their primary source of heat, but millions breathe the smoke these heaters produce. It's this disparity that makes wood-heater smoke a prime source of neighbourly conflict. Members of the Facebook group share stories of complaints to councils and heated arguments with neighbours. "There's a lot of suffering. People are silent because to complain about wood smoke means you're dobbing in your neighbour," Ms Daniel said. Members of the group who spoke to the ABC asked to remain anonymous. Max in Thirroul, just south of Sydney, has sealed windows and doorways and installed air purifiers to protect his 11-year-old asthmatic son from wood smoke. "Soon as it gets cold, around 4pm, the wood smoke becomes so bad you can't go outside." He said his air-quality monitors regularly clocked particulate readings of more than 50 micrograms per cubic meter, which was considered unhealthy with prolonged exposure. Amber, in Canberra, fell out with neighbours over wood smoke she said was giving her and her family sinus headaches. "We were initially really good friends with them … Our whole roof is covered in soot from their chimney." Several members feared a complaint would lead to their neighbour burning more wood — a practice known in the group as "revenge burning". Many said complaints to local and state governments have gone nowhere. These were common stories, Professor Johnston from the Centre for Safe Air said. "It's a really knotty neighbourhood problem for which we don't have particularly good tools." Wood smoke pollution was the responsibility of local councils, which were either reluctant to deal with the problem or not resourced to police chimney smoke, she said. Wood heater sales (which don't include open fireplaces, fire pits, pizza ovens or other outdoor wood-burners) increased 40 per cent between 2008 and 2021, according to industry group, the Home Heating Association. Sales dropped after the pandemic, but there's no sign of a long-term decline. Dr Irga from UTS said cost-of-living pressures and higher electricity prices were driving more Australians to burn wood for heat, including — in some cases — toxic construction materials. Meanwhile, new air quality monitoring and mapping technologies are making wood smoke harder to ignore. On July 6, 2025, a combination of cold and calm weekend weather in Melbourne saw wood smoke emissions spike in some areas of the city. The night-time event was captured by a relatively new network of low-cost, real-time air quality monitors, many of them privately owned by households. Called "Purple Air", the data from these monitors is shared to a publicly accessible online database. On July 6, around 7.30pm, Purple Air sensors around Melbourne showed levels of particulate pollution considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, even for short-term exposure. As the night wore on, pollution readings peaked. Heater-owners preparing for bed often close heater vents to stop oxygen flow, leading to incomplete combustion causing wood to smoulder, and produces large amounts of smoke that spreads into the surrounding properties. The pollution spike was also visible on Google Maps, which introduced an air quality overlay earlier this year based on data from government monitoring stations. New maps may be helping some groups like My Air Quality Australia keep tabs on pollution, but there's little sign they're changing attitudes more widely. Surveys show Australians are fairly relaxed about wood smoke, despite having one of the highest asthma rates in the world. Health bodies such as Asthma Australia and the Australian Medical Assocation want state and territory governments to ban new wood heater installs and phase out out the existing ones in residential areas. But governments appear reluctant to impose such a ban. On Facebook pages like My Air Quality Australia, there's a mounting sense of outrage. Even as Australia leads the world in rooftop solar uptake, many rooftops continue to host a much less advanced technology: the smoky chimney. After the July 6 pollution spike, one user observed that about 10 per cent of the 5 million people who live in Melbourne suffer from asthma, which is aggravated by wood smoke. "That's 500,000 people and it still feels like no-one cares. How is that even possible?"
