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400,000 to be relocated after quake in south China

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NTSB blames downdrafts in Steve Fossett crash

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NOAA: El Niño Arrives; Expected to Persist through Winter 2009-10

NOAA scientists today announced the arrival of El Niño, a climate phenomenon with a significant influence on global weather, ocean conditions and marine fisheries. El Niño, the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters, occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months.

Sea surface temperatures along the equatorial Eastern Pacific, as of July 1, are at least one degree above average — a sign of El Niño. Animation.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

NOAA expects this El Niño to continue developing during the next several months, with further strengthening possible. The event is expected to last through winter 2009-10.

“Advanced climate science allows us to alert industries, governments and emergency managers about the weather conditions El Niño may bring so these can be factored into decision-making and ultimately protect life, property and the economy,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

El Niño's impacts depend on a variety of factors, such as intensity and extent of ocean warming, and the time of year. Contrary to popular belief, not all effects are negative. On the positive side, El Niño can help to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity. In the United States, it typically brings beneficial winter precipitation to the arid Southwest, less wintry weather across the North, and a reduced risk of Florida wildfires.

Storm knocks out power during Blue Jays-Rays

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NASA sails through countdown, weather outlook poor

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NASA: Blanca Becomes a "Remnant" Low

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Remnant clouds from Blanca are seen in the middle of this GOES-12 satellite image, as it sits in the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Blanca's run in the Eastern Pacific Ocean has come to a close as the tropical cyclone has "hit a remnant low" pressure status on its way to total dissipation.

At 11 p.m. EDT on July 8, the National Hurricane Center deemed Blanca a remnant low pressure area and issued their last advisory on the cyclone. At that time, its sustained winds were down to 30 mph, and it was weakening in waters too cool to sustain it. Blanca's last minimum central pressure was 1006 millibars. By 9 a.m. EDT on July 9, Blanca's remnants had moved to a position about 830 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja California.

During the early morning hours of July 9, some thunderstorms were still occurring in Blanca, but the system lacked the deep convection (rapidly rising air that forms more thunderstorms and keep the storm going). There may be more thunderstorms that pop up around Blanca's weak circulation over the next day or two until it totally dissipates sometime before July 11.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-12, captured Blanca's remnants at 7:45 a.m. EDT (1145 UTC) on July 9 in the open waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. GOES-12 is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the image was created by NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

Although Blanca is fading, the National Hurricane Center is watching another area in the Eastern Pacific about 950 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California. There is an area of disturbed weather there, and it has a low chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next 2 days.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center