Steve Miller Band Cancels Tour, Saying Extreme Weather Is A Safety Concern
'The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and massive forest fires make these risks for you, our audience, the band, and the crew unacceptable,' Miller, 81, said in a statement posted on the band's social media accounts Wednesday. 'You can blame it on the weather. … The tour is canceled.' The Steve Miller Band, formed in California in the 1960s, has hits including 'The Joker' (1973) and 'Abracadabra' (1982). A band spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the cancellation.
Miller's decision comes as a stretch of extreme weather in the US has made headlines. A sweltering heat dome that baked much of the eastern half of the nation in June and deadly flash flooding in Texas are some of the recent rounds of extreme weather. Scientists say climate change is fueling extreme weather, causing storms to unleash more rain and sending temperatures soaring to dangerous heights, making it harder to plan outdoor summer events. The atmosphere can hold higher amounts of moisture as it warms, resulting in storms dumping heavier amounts of rain compared to storms of the past.
Music festivals have recently encountered extreme weather, resulting in cancellations or causing concertgoers to become ill. In June, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee was canceled partway through due to heavy rainfall. Last week, hundreds of people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the Rock the Country music festival in Kentucky, according to local officials. A study published in 2020 reported climate change will increase the likelihood of extreme heat stress during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.
Tropical storms and hurricanes will soon contribute to the turbulent weather as activity peaks between August and October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Tourists and laborers seek respite as Greece and Balkans gripped by heatwave
ATHENS: Laborers were pausing outdoor work and tourists seeking out shade on Tuesday as Greece sweltered under its third heatwave of the summer and soaring temperatures gripped the wider Balkan region, fueling wildfires in Albania. Situated at Europe's southernmost tip, Greece, which attracts dozens of millions of tourists every year, has always had hot and dry summers. But in recent years climate change has led to longer and more severe heatwaves, as well as destructive floods and wildfires. Couriers, food delivery riders and builders in the wider area of the Greek capital Athens and other regions were among those ordered to pause work from midday until 5 p.m., as the mercury was expected to climb as high as 43 degrees Celsius, the labor ministry said. Workers with underlying health issues were advised to work remotely to avoid heat stress. Outside the parliament building in central Athens, a soldier used a towel to wipe the sweat from the face of a presidential guard. Tourists in Athens, one of the most densely populated capitals in Europe sitting on a plain flanked by mountains, sought out air-conditioned restaurants and stores, and some said they were staying inside in the middle of the SHUT Authorities announced that the Acropolis, which sits on a rocky hill offering barely any shade and is Greece's most visited ancient site, would be closed for five hours from midday on Tuesday and Wednesday, a common step when temperatures soar. The heatwave will continue until Sunday, the Greek meteorological service said. Scorching heat also gripped neighboring Bulgaria on Tuesday, with authorities urging businesses to give away water and cut physical labor during high-risk Montenegro, major roads were congested as many rushed to the beaches to find relief from the heat. In Albania, firefighters assisted by four aircraft from Italy and Greece battled two wildfires at a national park in the north and near the southwestern village of Dukat. Last month, large parts of Western Europe sweltered in another severe heatwave that left many dead and triggered forest fires and health alerts across the region. Across the globe, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 1.5 Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time. Research published last week showed that the soil surface temperature around Athens rose in some places by as much as 10 degrees Celsius since July 2024 after fires destroyed vegetation.
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Flash Floods Kill 3 Tourists and Leave 15 Missing in Northern Pakistan
Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains swept away several vehicles carrying tourists in northern Pakistan, killing at least three people and leaving 15 others missing, officials said on Tuesday. Pakistani rescue officials say the above-normal monsoon rains since June 26 have killed at least 225 people and injured more than 500 across the country. Experts say climate change is driving an increase in extreme weather events in the region. A cloudburst caused floods and landslides on Monday, stranding more than 200 local tourists after a key highway near the northern Chilas district was blocked, said Faizullah Faraq, a government spokesperson in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. Army helicopters were used in the evacuation, which included women and children, he said. Several vehicles had been buried under the rubble of landslides and rescuers are using heavy machinery to find the missing tourists and residents, Faraq said. Three bodies have been recovered. The National Disaster Management Authority issued an updated flood days before, warning against travel to northern areas due to potential landslides and blocked roads. Earlier this month, authorities warned they cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and killed 1,737 people.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Iranians told to use less water as heatwave worsens shortages
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have urged residents to limit water consumption as the country grapples with severe shortages amid an ongoing heatwave, local media said Sunday. Water scarcity is a major issue in Iran, particularly in arid provinces in the country's south, with shortages blamed on mismanagement and overexploitation of underground resources as well as the growing impact of climate change. On Saturday, the national meteorological service said Iran was experiencing its hottest week of the year so far, with temperatures exceeding 50C in some areas. 'People should conserve water to avoid drops in pressure,' said Tehran city council chair Mehdi Chamran, according to the ISNA news agency. Authorities across Iran have issued similar appeals in recent days, asking residents in several provinces to limit water usage. Tehran's provincial water management company called to reduce usage by 'at least 20 percent' to help ease the shortages. In a statement, it said that 'the reservoirs of the dams supplying water to Tehran are currently at their lowest level in a century' following years of steady decline in rainfall. Javan, a conservative newspaper, reported on Saturday that authorities had reduced water pressure in parts of the capital in a bid to mitigate the crisis, resulting in 'water outages lasting between 12 and 18 hours' in some areas.
