NATIONAL WEATHER ONLINE - HEADLINES

Dry Louisiana: Farmers struggle, fish die in dry ditches, some areas consider fireworks ban

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Summer looks like a washout for some retailers

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Wimbledon roof closes for 1st time

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QuikScat Finds Tempests Brewing In 'Ordinary' Storms

> Larger image QuikScat image of a mature North Atlantic extratropical cyclone from December 1, 2004. The color bar in the upper right indicates wind speed in knots. The storm’s hurricane-force winds, located to the south of the center of the low pressure system, are depicted as red wind barbs. Image credit: NOAA Satellite, Now Entering Its Second Decade, Has Revolutionized Marine Weather Forecast

"June is busting out all over," as the song says, and with it, U.S. residents along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts begin to gaze warily toward the ocean, aware that the hurricane season is revving up. In the decade since NASA's QuikScat satellite and its SeaWinds scatterometer launched in June 1999, the satellite has measured the wind speed and wind direction of these powerful storms, providing data that are increasingly used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center and other world forecasting agencies. The data help scientists detect these storms, understand their wind fields, estimate their intensity and track their movement.

NASA Debuts the Entire 2008 Hurricane Season in New On-line Video

 

> View movie (WMV format 3 Mb)
> View movie (MP4 format 22 Mb)
Credit: NASA GOES Project Imagine watching all of the tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes of 2008 as they formed in the Atlantic Ocean Basin and either faded at sea or made landfall. Thanks to NASA technology and satellite data coupled with data from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operated satellite, you can see the tracks of storms from Arthur to Paloma from birth to death.

There were 17 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which includes the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Sixteen of the storms were strong enough to be named, and only one stayed a tropical depression.

The movie displays the infrared cloud imagery from the geosynchronous weather satellites, principally NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-12. The original cloud imagery was remapped and enhanced to display cloudtop texture. The GOES cloud images were overlaid on a true-color background map previously created from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite.

Czech floods widen, death toll rises to 13

The following bullet points are from a Reuters News Agency article.  To read the entire article, click here.

* Fresh storms swell rivers in southern Czech Republic
* Death toll rises to 13
* More rain forecast

Raw Video: Sandstorm Blankets Baghdad

A heavy sandstorm has blanketed Iraq's capital, closing the Baghdad airport and sending dozens of people to the hospital with respiratory problems.

Sophisticated weather satellite rockets into orbit

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Raw Video: Storm Brings Fire and Flood to Michigan

Severe thunderstorms from Ann Arbor to Detroit brought high winds that toppled trees and branches in southeast Michigan. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for rivers in several counties.

After tarrying over the Philippines, Nangka scurries toward Hong Kong

> Larger image This infrared image, created on June 25 at 1:53 p.m. EDT (17:53 UTC) shows Nangka's cold clouds in purple and blue.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

After hanging over the Philippines for three days, tropical storm Nangka has moved into the South China Sea and is expected to strike the China coast just east of Hong Kong. Its winds have weakened, with maximum gusts reaching 40 knots. Maximum significant wave height has decreased to 12 feet. The storm will dissipate rapidly after making landfall.

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Nangka from space, and data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), aboard Aqua captured a view of the extent of Nangka's cold clouds. The infrared image, created on June 25 at 1:53 p.m. EDT (17:53 UTC) shows Nangka's cold clouds in purple and blue. Those areas in purple have temperatures as cold or colder than 220 Kelvins or minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The blue areas are around 240 Kelvins, or minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder the clouds are, the higher they are, and the more powerful the thunderstorms are that make up the cyclone.

Text credit: Ed Olsen, NASA JPL

Tropical Wave 93L promises local heavy rains for Yucatan and Cuba

> Larger image This infrared image, created on June 26 at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 UTC) shows disturbance 93L's cold clouds in purple and blue.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

A tropical wave has formed in the western Caribbean off the Nicaraguan coast and is headed westward towards the Yucatan Peninsula. It will bring locally heavy rains to western Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Central America and may become a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours if it threads the eye of the needle between Cancun and the western tip of Cuba rather than going ashore. NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Caribbean tropical wave from space, and data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), aboard Aqua captured a view of the extent of its cold clouds. The infrared image, created on June 26 at 2:59 a.m. EDT (6:59 UTC) shows disturbance 93L's cold clouds in purple and blue. Those areas in purple have temperatures as cold or colder than 220 Kelvins or minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The blue areas are around 240 Kelvins, or minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder the clouds are, the higher they are, and the more powerful the thunderstorms are that make up the cyclone.

Text credit: Ed Olsen, NASA JPL

Strong thunderstorms batter southeast Michigan

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Photos of Erupting Sarychev Peak Volcano Taken From Space

Photos of Erupting Sarychev Peak Volcano Taken From Space

Photos of Erupting Sarychev Peak Volcano Taken From Space, Courtesy of NowPublic.com

Two NASA Satellites Catch Andres' Last Breath

> Larger image NASA's TRMM satellite could barely detect circulation or much rainfall on June 24 when it passed overhead.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

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> Larger image NASA's Aqua satellite saw that Andres thunderstorms were losing punch because the clouds weren't as cold as they were when it was a tropical storm. Andres' center is the comma-like blue shape over the open ocean.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen 

In the early afternoon hours of June 24, the once-hurricane Andres breathed his last in the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, and two NASA satellites were there for him. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission watched as Andres' rainfall waned, and NASA's Aqua satellite watched as his clouds became less cold, lower, and weaker.

At 2 p.m. EDT on June 24, the National Hurricane Center wrote Andres' eulogy: "Andres has been devoid of deep convection near the center for about 12 hours and given its environment the convection is not likely to return. Andres has therefore degenerated into a remnant low and this will be the last advisory on this system."

He was seen at 2 p.m. EDT near latitude 21.5 north and longitude 107.6 west, or about 145 miles west-northwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico.

Like "Rainy Days and Mondays" Nangka Getting Philippine Residents Down

> Larger image NASA's Aqua satellite captured the eastern half of Tropical Storm Nangka's clouds (purple), which were still raining on parts of the Philippines on June 24.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Like the classic Carpenters' song that goes: "Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown, rainy days and Mondays always get me down," Nangka is getting residents down. In fact, Public storm signal number One is in effect in the Zambales and Western Pangasinan areas of the Philippines. It's still raining there and that's troublesome.

Although the center of Tropical Storm Nangka is now at sea, the storm isn't moving fast enough for residents of the Philippines. That means more trouble with heavy and large amounts of rainfall, flooding and mudslides, especially in the mountainous areas.

Corn catch-up: Crop planted late after wet spring

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Austria Battles Floods After 2 Days of Rain

Thousands of firefighters and soldiers struggled Wednesday to contain flood waters in northern, central and eastern Austria after more than two days of heavy rain.

NASA: Andres Ripped In and Out of Hurricane Status, Now Shearing Apart

Andres has weakened to a tropical depression a day after becoming the first hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season and killing one - the Associated Press reports below.  The text article is courtesy of NASA.

> Larger image NASA's AIRS instrument captured the coldest thunderstorm cloudtops in Andres when he was a hurricane briefly on June 23. The highest, coldest clouds are in purple, in the center of the storm. Credit: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen

Andres managed to make a "Category One" hurricane status briefly late on June 23, before dropping back down to tropical storm status and moving away from western Mexico early on June 24. Now, wind shear is ripping the storm apart.

At 5 p.m. EDT on June 23, Andres managed to become a Category One hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 65 knots (74 mph) when it was 65 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Andres' hurricane strength didn't last long, though.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) discussion on June 24 at 5 a.m. EDT indicated that Andres was being battered by wind shear (winds blowing at different directions at different levels of the atmosphere that tear a storm apart). The NHC said, "Satellite images show a deteriorating cloud pattern associated with the storm...as a ragged-looking mass of deep convection is being sheared southwestward away from the estimated low-level center. It appears that Andres is succumbing to the persistent east-northeasterly shear that has been impacting it over the past day or two."

On June 24 at 2 a.m. PDT (5 a.m. EDT) the center of Tropical Storm Andres was near latitude 19.5 north and longitude 106.7 west or about 90 miles south of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico and about 315 miles southeast of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph, and weakening is expected. Andres is moving toward the northwest near 3 mph and will continue in that direction and speed.

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Andres on June 23 at 4:41 p.m. EDT (2041 UTC), and captured an infrared image of the storm's clouds. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is the instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite and it managed to see Andres during the short time that it was a hurricane. The AIRS image shows the temperature of Andres' high, cold thunderstorm cloud tops. The coldest cloud temperatures are in purple and are seen in the center of the storm.

Tropical Storm Andres is now expected to weaken to a tropical depression before Thursday night, June 25.

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

NASA: Manila Drenched by Nangka as It Moves Back Over Open Water

> Larger image Tropical Storm Nangka is moving into open ocean, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured it moving out of the Philippines.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

You wouldn't think that a storm named after something as innocent as a fruit would cause a lot of problems, but "Nangka" named for a jackfruit in the Philippines is bringing heavy rains and gusty winds to Manila. Nangka's rains and winds will be a memory by tomorrow, however as it has already moved into the Sulu Sea and is taking a north-northwesterly track toward mainland China.

On June 24 at 8 a.m. EDT, Nangka had sustained winds of 46 mph (40 knots) and was moving west-northwestward at 12 mph (11 knots). Nangka's center was located about 75 nautical miles south-southwest of Manila, near 14.1 degrees north latitude and 119.9 degrees east longitude. Nangka, also known as "Feria" to residents of the Philippines, is actually now over water in the Sulu Sea (northeast of the South China Sea) and is expected to intensify in the warm waters as it moves away from the Philippines.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured the western half of Nangka on June 23 at 2:05 p.m. EDT (18:05 Zulu Time) in an infrared image when it was already starting to move into the open Sulu Sea.

The infrared image shows a big difference in the temperature of Nangka's cold thunderstorm cloud tops and the warm ocean temperatures. In this image, the orange temperatures are 80F (300 degrees Kelvin) or warmer and that's the direction the storm is headed, so it is expected to strengthen. Nangka's lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops. Those temperatures are as cold as or colder than 220 degrees Kelvin or minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (F).

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

Hurricane Andres forms off Mexico's Pacific coast

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Beyond CO2: Study Reveals Growing Importance of HFCs in Climate Warming

Under current regulations, the demand for HFCs is expected to increase globally. By 2050 total HFC usage in developing countries is projected to be as much as 800 percent greater than in developed countries and warm the climate as effectively as 5-9 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

Some of the substances that are helping to avert the destruction of the ozone layer could increasingly contribute to climate warming, according to scientists from NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and their colleagues in a new study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The authors took a fresh look at how the global use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is expected to grow in coming decades. Using updated usage estimates and looking farther ahead than past projections (to the year 2050), they found that HFCs — especially from developing countries — will become an increasingly larger factor in future climate warming.

UCAR: 300 Billion Weather Forecasts Used by Americans Annually, Survey Finds

BOULDER—Close to 9 out of 10 adult Americans obtain weather forecasts regularly, and they do so more than three times each day on average, a new nationwide survey by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found. The value Americans place on these forecasts appears to be far more than the nation spends on public and private weather services.

The research is the first comprehensive study of its kind to examine how the public perceives, uses, and values weather forecasts. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the study appears in the June issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

U.S. adults obtain an estimated 300 billion forecasts each year, says NCAR scientist and lead author Jeffrey Lazo. The study also reveals that most people are generally satisfied with weather forecasts and have fairly high confidence in forecasts with a lead time of one to two days.

Consulting a weather forecast can help avoid the surprise of a rain storm. ©UCAR [ENLARGE] News media terms of use*

Southeastern China Soaked by Cyclone Linfa, Now a Remnant Low

> Larger image NASA's Aqua satellite captured this view of Linfa's clouds on June 23 over southeastern China
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen 

Southeastern China was ravaged by Cyclone Linfa this week and the storm is now an area of low pressure. The storm made landfall at 8:30 a.m. local time in the Dongshi Township, Jin jiang City in the Fujian Province on Sunday, June 19. At that time, it came ashore with sustained winds near 51 mph, making it a tropical storm upon landfall.

Linfa brought drenching rains that caused landslides. Reports indicate several deaths and a number of people missing as a result of landslides in eastern and southern China provinces.

Tropical Depression 04W Becomes Tropical Storm Nangka

> Larger image NASA's Aqua satellite saw that Tropical Storm Nangka's clouds (purple) are affecting a number of the regions in the Philippines.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

It didn't take long for Tropical Depression 04W to strengthen into Tropical Storm Nangka, and its bringing rain to most of the Philippines today and tomorrow. Today, June 23, at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 UT) Nangka had sustained winds near 35 knots or 40 mph, and even higher gusts. Satellite imagery showed well-defined circulation and banding of thunderstorms which indicate an organized (and strengthening) storm.

Nangka was located about 345 nautical miles southeast of Manila, the Philippines, near 11.3 north and 125.8 east. Nanga is already bringing rains to the following regions: Eastern, Western and Central Visayas; Bicol Region; Northern Mindanao; and the Capital Region. It is moving north-northwest near 9 knots (10 mph). Nangka is forecast to track north-northeast over the rest of the Philippine regions: Calabarzon; Central Luzon; Cagayan Valley; Iolocos Region; and Cordillera Administrative Region; before moving briefly back to sea and then onto Taiwan.

Andres Expected to Become Season's 1st Hurricane

Tropical Storm Andres is expected to grow into the Pacific season's first hurricane and deal a glancing blow to southwestern Mexico before churning its way up the coast past picturesque towns popular with foreign retirees.

Quake jolts Anchorage, Alaska, but damage minimal

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Red River rises again in North Dakota

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Tropical Storm Andres Forms in Eastern Pacific

> Larger image
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen 

The first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific Hurricane season has formed off the coast of southwestern Mexico. Andres formed on Sunday, June 21 and is now headed northwest while strengthening.

Andres' maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. The National Hurricane Center said that Andres could also become the Eastern Pacific Ocean's first hurricane of the season in a couple of days.

At 5 a.m. PDT (8 a.m. EDT) the center of Tropical Storm Andres was near latitude 15.2 north...longitude 102.0 west or about 180 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico and about 325 miles south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico.

JPL Wind Watcher Blows Into its Second Decade

 

> Larger image Artist concept of QuikScat.
Image credit: NASA/JPL NASA's Quick Scatterometer, or QuikScat, mission was conceived, developed and launched less than two years after the unexpected loss of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-1 spacecraft, which carried the NASA Scatterometer in June 1997. Just two years later, on June 19, 1999, the QuikScat spacecraft carrying JPL's SeaWinds instrument was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Since its launch a decade ago, QuikScat has advanced Earth science research and helped improve environmental predictions using measurements of global radar backscatter from Earth's ocean, land and ice surfaces. QuikScat data help scientists better understand and predict the processes that drive our climate, such as ocean circulation and the global water cycle.

Another Tropical Depression Forms in the Western Pacific

> Larger image NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Depression 04W on June 22.
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Tropical Depression 04W formed in the western Pacific to the east of the main island of the Philippines today, June 22 and it is forecast to head to Luzon.

At 11 a.m. EDT on June 22, Tropical Depression 04W was about 520 miles east-southeast of Manila, Philippines, near 11.0 north and 129.2 east. It was moving west near 19 knots (21 mph) and had sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph).

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of 04W on June 22 at (1:05 a.m. EDT) 0505 UTC as the satellite flew overhead.

Depression 04W is expected to make landfall on Wednesday and then re-emerge in the South China Sea.

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

NASA Satellites Catch Cyclone Linfa's Death Knell

> Larger image NASA's TRMM satellite captured Linfa's rainfall while on the China coast on June 22.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

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> Larger image NASA's TRMM satellite captured Linfa's rainfall on June 20 as it was approaching southeastern China. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

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> Larger image At 1:25 a.m. EDT on June 20, NASA's MODIS instrument saw Tropical Cyclone Linfa approaching China. Credit: NASA MODIS Rapid Response 

Tropical Depression Linfa's death knell has been sounded. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final advisory on the storm on June 22. At 11 a.m. EDT the depression was about 320 nautical miles west-northwest of Okinawa, Japan. That put it near 28.0 north and 122.6 east. Sustained winds were down to 23 mph (20 knots) and fading.

Earlier in the day on Monday, June 22, Linfa touched the land on the southeastern coast of China. Land interaction always weakens a tropical cyclone and this brush with China was no different. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and NASA's Aqua satellite caught good looks at the storm's rainfall and cloud formation.

Wet, soggy spring hurts Colorado hay harvest

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Heavy Turbulence Hurts 7 on Aussie Jetliner

A Qantas plane hit turbulence and suddenly lost altitude over Malaysia, throwing terrified passengers around the cabin and leaving seven people injured, the airline said Monday.

Lightning Safety Week 2009

It's Lightning Safety Week!  For more information than offered in this post, click here for NOAA's Lightning Safety Page!

Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather phenomena— lightning. But don't be fooled, lightning strikes yearround. The goal of this Website is to safeguard U.S. residents from lightning. In the United States, an average of 62 people are killed each year by lightning:

• To date, in 2009, 15 people have been killed by lightning
• In 2008, 28 people died due to lightning strikes
• Hundreds of others were permanently injured.  Of the victims who were killed by lightning in 2008:
  
  • 100% outside
  • 79% male
  • 36% males between the ages of 20-25
  • 32% under a tree
  • 29% on or near the water

The reported number of injuries is likely far lower than the actual total number because many people do not seek help or doctors do not record it as a lightning injury.  People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, attention deficits, sleep disorders, numbness, dizziness, stiffness in joints, irritability, fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms, depression, and an inability to sit for long.

Lightning is a serious danger. Through this site we hope you'll learn more about lightning risks and how to protect yourself, your loved ones and your belongings. As a start, get an overview of Lightning Safety or stop by our comprehensive page of handouts, brochures, links and more.

China's Xiamen port shut ahead of tropical storm Linfa

The following is an excerpt from a Reuters News Article.  To view the article, click here.

"SHANGHAI, June 21 (Reuters) - Tropical storm Linfa plowed into southern China's Fujian province on Sunday night, sending fishing boats scurrying to safety and closing the port of Xiamen. Linfa was downgraded from a typhoon as it entered the Taiwan Strait. It is expected to sweep the coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, as well as northwestern Taiwan, before moving on to southern Japan..."

3 tornadoes destroy buildings in western Michigan

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Raw Video: Solstice Greeted at Stonehenge

Pagans and partygoers drummed, danced or gyrated in hula hoops to stay awake through the night, as more than 35,000 people greeted the summer solstice Sunday at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge.

Thousands still blacked out in Midwest following damaging thunderstorms

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Study: Weather, not pollution controls, had bigger role in cleaning Beijing air for Olympics

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NASA: Mexico Getting Pounded With Heavy Rain from TD1-E

TD-1E's thunderstorms (in blue and purple) are seen as a perfectly round shaped off the western Mexican coast in this Aqua satellite AIRS image. > Larger image
Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

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This is the forecast track of TD-1E from the National Hurricane Center, as of June 19. > Larger image
Credit: NOAA/NHC 

The first tropical depression of the eastern Pacific Ocean season is making landfall in Mexico and has drenched the state of Sinaloa already.

On June 19, as Tropical Depression One-E ("E" for Eastern Pacific) was trudging into western Mexico, and the state of Sinaloa, it was dropping between 4 and 8 inches of rain, with higher amounts in isolated areas. Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect.

At 11:00 a.m. EDT the center of Tropical Depression One-E (TD1-E) was located near latitude 21.0 north and longitude 107.1 west or about 160 miles south-southwest of Mazatlan, Mexico.

The depression is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph and will gradually turn north while slowing down. TD1-E's center will be near Las Islas Marias today and near the mainland coast of Mexico on June 20. Its current forecast track brings the center of TD1-E between the towns of Culacan and Mazatlan.

Tropical Storm Linfa Threatens Taiwan and Mainland China

Click here for the Reuters report outlining warnings issued for Taiwan in advance of Linfa.

NASA's TRMM satellite captures Cyclone Linfa's rainfall from space in this image.
> Larger image
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce 

Tropical storm Linfa is expected to cause heavy rainfall and possible flooding as it approaches southwestern Taiwan and southeastern China over the weekend of June 20-21.

When the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed above Linfa on June 19, 2009 at 2:10 a.m. EDT (0610 UTC) it captured an image of the storm's rainfall. The image also shows the projected path of Linfa over the next couple of days (the 19 means June 19, and the 20 means June 20. The "Z" number represents Zulu Time or UTC).

Linfa had sustained winds of about 50 knots (~58 miles per hour) speeds at that time and is predicted by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to strengthen slightly without attaining typhoon strength before hitting Taiwan. The rainfall analysis uses data from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments and is overlaid on an image that is a combination of TRMM Visible and Infrared (VIRS) images.

Strong storms cause delays at Chicago airports

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Rain ends Seattle dry streak at 29 days

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Flooded course and crowded lot make for Open fun

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An exceptionally soggy June for many in US

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Raw Video: Sandstorm Puts Baghdad in a Fog

A fierce sandstorm has left Baghdad covered in dust. The sandstorm has caused flight delays and forced police officers to wear masks.

NOAA: NOAA Forecast Predicts Large "Dead Zone" for Gulf of Mexico this Summer

A team of NOAA-supported scientists from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Louisiana State University, and the University of Michigan is forecasting that the “dead zone” off the coast of Louisiana and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico this summer could be one of the largest on record. The dead zone is an area in the Gulf of Mexico where seasonal oxygen levels drop too low to support most life in bottom and near-bottom waters.

Dead zone visualization.

Animation (Credit: NOAA)

Scientists are predicting the area could measure between 7,450 and 8,456 square miles, or an area roughly the size of New Jersey. However, additional flooding of the Mississippi River since May may result in a larger dead zone. The largest one on record occurred in 2002, measuring 8,484 square miles.

Wet-n-wait: Nats-Yanks game starts 5 1/2 hours late

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Nowhere to Hide From the Heat in Pakistan

Officials say millions of people are still without electricity in Karachi, Pakistan's commercial capital, after a major power outage left the city of 15 million in the dark.

NOAA: Fourth Warmest May for Globe

The combined average global land and ocean surface temperatures for May 2009 ranked fourth warmest since worldwide records began in 1880, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

The analyses in NCDC’s global reports are based on preliminary data, which are subject to revision. Additional quality control is applied to the data when late reports are received several weeks after the end of the month and as increased scientific methods improve NCDC’s processing algorithms...