Nation Saw 10 Billion-Dollar Disasters in First Six Months of This Year
Hot temperatures and below-normal rainfall put June 2020 among the warmest and driest Junes in the 126-year U.S. climate record. Keep Reading
National Weather Service Seeks Input on Major Changes to Watch, Warning, and Advisory System
Over the past few months, the National Weather Service (NWS) Hazard Simplification (Haz Simp) Team has been socializing a proposal to make major changes to NWS’ Watch, Warning, and Advisory system. Keep Reading
NOAA Leads Community Scientists in Mapping Hottest Parts of 13 U.S. Cities This Summer
Extreme heat can be fatal, and buildings and pavement increase its threat, making some parts of cities up to 20°F hotter than other parts. Keep Reading
Four Major Hurricanes Predicted for Above-Average Hurricane Season
This forecast is based on a new extended-range early April statistical prediction scheme that was developed using 38 years of past data. Analog predictors are also utilized. Keep Reading
Coronavirus
COVID-19 Could Disrupt Weather Alerts
Weather experts have warned that the coronavirus pandemic risks disrupting key forecasting services, including early warning alerts around the world. Keep Reading
GAO: Resilience Planning Could Help Utilities Prepare for Potential Climate Change Impacts
The Government Accountability Office examined federal technical and financial assistance to make such infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather and asked experts about additional options. Keep Reading
Cloud Platforms Unleash Full Potential of NOAA’s Environmental Data
This is the latest milestone of the ongoing NOAA Big Data Project, which seeks to remove obstacles to public use of the agency’s data by combining three powerful resources. Keep Reading
FEMA Highlights Holiday Travel Safety, Winter Weather Preparedness Tips
“You have winter weather advisories from Illinois to Maine -- 50 million people in those advisories,” said Gaynor. “The odds are something will happen." Keep Reading
Report: Climate Change Is Making Specific Weather Events More Extreme
A drought that parched the southwestern U.S. Extraordinary flooding in the Mid-Atlantic states. Heat waves that baked the Iberian peninsula and northeast Asia. Vanishing sea ice in the Bering Sea. Keep Reading
Winter Outlook: Warmer Than Average for Many, Wetter in the North
While the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern often influences the winter, neutral conditions are in place this year and expected to persist. Keep Reading
September 2019 Tied as Hottest on Record for Planet
The globe continued to simmer in exceptional warmth, as September 2019 tied with 2015 as the hottest September in NOAA’s 140-year temperature record. Keep Reading
CBO: Extreme Weather Costs $54 Billion Annually and Will Rise Without Policy Changes
The Congessional Budget Office estimates that expected annual economic losses total $54 billion for most types of damage caused by storm surges, hurricane winds, and heavy precipitation. Keep Reading
11 Straight Days of Tornadoes Have U.S. Approaching ‘Uncharted Territory’
A stretch of severe weather has tormented communities from the Rocky Mountains to the Mid-Atlantic in recent weeks, causing at least seven deaths and scores of injuries. Keep Reading
‘Tornado Outbreak’ Devastates Ohio Communities with Winds Up to 140 MPH
The National Weather Service says that "at least an EF3 tornado with winds up to 140 mph" struck the city of Beavercreek in Greene County, Ohio. Keep Reading
Atlantic Hurricane Season Likely Near Normal, with 30 Percent Chance of Being Worse
For 2019, NOAA predicts a likely range of 9 to 15 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 4 to 8 could become hurricanes. Keep Reading
NOAA Predicts Above-Normal 2019 Hurricane Season in the Central Pacific
Five to 8 tropical cyclones are predicted for the central Pacific hurricane basin; NOAA does not predict whether any of these systems will affect Hawaii. Keep Reading
April 2019 Was Second-Hottest on Record for the Globe
The average global temperature in April was 1.67 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 56.7 degrees F, making it the second-hottest April in the 140-year record behind April 2016. Keep Reading
CBO: Hurricanes and Storm Flooding Taking a $54 Billion Annual Toll
Report estimates that a combination of private insurance coverage for wind damage, federal flood insurance, and federal disaster assistance would cover roughly 50 percent of losses to the residential sector. Keep Reading
More Intense Climate-Change Disasters Impacting Fire Service, Chief Tells Congress
"Local fire departments must provide emergency response in treacherous conditions without the expectation of immediate state or federal assistance." Keep Reading
Cyclone Idai Could be Deadliest Storm Ever: Is It a Sign of Things to Come?
The full scale of the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai in Africa is becoming clearer, the United Nations said on March 19, warning that the emergency “is getting bigger by the hour”. Aid access is the biggest challenge, after two swollen rivers burst their banks. Keep Reading