Another above-normal hurricane season forecast this year, NOAA says
A tenth-consecutive above-average hurricane season is forecast in the Atlantic basin this year, with warm waters and potentially storm-friendly climate patterns expected to produce as many as 19 tropical storms, including 6 to 10 hurricanes, government scientists said Thursday.
Half of those hurricanes could reach 'major' strength, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its official outlook for the 2025 storm season, which begins June 1.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Monday Flight Delays: ATL, DFW Among These Airports Facing Disruptions
Nearly two dozen major U.S. airports could see significant flight delays Monday due to cloudy skies and thunderstorms across the country. Thunderstorms across the country are causing delayed flights on Monday. As of 2:10 p.m. EDT, over 3,700 flights were delayed in the U.S., according to FlightAware. Triple-digit delays were reported Monday out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare and Denver. Meanwhile, Boston Logan Airport is under a ground delay due to 'low ceilings,' with cloudy skies causing more than one quarter of all arriving flights to be delayed, by an average of 88 minutes. The FAA's daily air traffic report highlights potential delays due to weather conditions in major U.S. airports from coast to coast and from Chicago to Houston. Low clouds may cause delays in Boston (BOS), New York (JFK, LGA, EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington, D.C. (BWI, IAD, DCA), San Francisco (SFO) and Southern California (LAX, SAN). Thunderstorms may slow flights in Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), South Florida (MIA, PBI, FLL), Detroit (DTW), Chicago (ORD, MDW), Houston (IAH, HOU) and Dallas (DFW, DAL). 'The main thing making weather headlines over the next couple of days willbe the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms to develop across portions of the Deep South and extending northward to the central Appalachians on Monday,' according to the National Weather Service. The forecast calls for a 'slight risk of severe thunderstorms' from Louisiana stretching northeastward to western New York, including 'scattered multi-cell clusters and some supercells, with damaging winds and large hail the primary threats, and some tornadoes are also a possibility.' In addition, stormy weather is expected across western Texas and eastern New Mexico on Monday. Summer months (June, July, August) experience the highest rates of weather-related flight delays in the U.S., with approximately one third of all flight delays caused by bad weather. The elevated summer percentage is primarily due to intense thunderstorms, the start of hurricane season and extreme heat, all of which can disrupt flight schedules. 45,000. That's how many flights the FAA manages on a daily basis in the United States. As of mid-afternoon, roughly 8% of all flights in the country are delayed Monday. Flight Delays Are Up From Last Year. Here's Your Summer On-Time Battle Plan (Forbes)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Staff vacancies hit Texas weather offices as they brace for a busy hurricane season
FORT WORTH — With hurricane season underway and an above-normal activity forecast, some National Weather Service offices like Houston — where as many as 44% of positions are vacant — are operating with staff shortages, prompting concerns about their capacity to monitor future storms. The shortages stem from federal cuts that slashed roughly 10% of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's workforce and triggered a wave of early retirements. While no staff members from the Houston/Galveston office were laid off, several hundred employees at NOAA, which hosts the National Weather Service, took a voluntary early retirement package. Among those stepping down: Jeff Evans, longtime meteorologist-in-charge in Houston, who retired after 34 years with the NWS, 10 of those in Texas. He told KPRC Click2Houston that it was 'an honor and a privilege' to serve Texas through countless disasters. The Houston office has 11 vacancies — 44% of its regular staffing. The NWS provides weather warnings for tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and floods, and produces river and hydrological outlooks and long-term climate change data. It serves as the forecast of record for many, including TV meteorologists, journalists and researchers, as well as emergency managers, who use it to plan for potential evacuations and rescue coordination during extreme weather events. Mark Fox, who usually works at the Oklahoma office, has stepped in to help as acting meteorologist-in-charge in Houston. Despite the strain, Fox and other local meteorologists say they're committed to delivering life-saving forecasts and supporting emergency preparedness. 'We can continue 24/7 with the staff that we have,' Fox said. 'If we need to augment staff to kind of help out and give some people a break, we can do that. But the mission is going to be fulfilled.' Hurricane season started June 1 and goes to November 30. NWS forecasters predict an above-normal hurricane season, citing warm Atlantic waters and weak wind shear, which are changes in the wind's speed and direction. The agency forecasts 13 to 19 named storms, three to five of which could become Category 3 or higher hurricanes with wind speeds of at least 111 miles per hour. For context, last year's forecast included 17 to 25 named storms and the season saw 18 named storms, 11 of which were hurricanes. Among them were Tropical Storm Alberto and Hurricane Beryl — a Category 1 that left millions of Texans without electricity for days. NOAA defines an average Atlantic hurricane season as one with 14 named storms, of which three are stronger hurricanes, based on data from 1991 to 2020. NOAA has a 70% confidence level in these predictions and warns that the peak of the season — typically late August through October — could be intense. The West African Monsoon, a key hurricane trigger, is also expected to be stronger than usual. However, Fox says, this isn't just about numbers. It's about readiness. 'It only takes one,' Fox said. 'We'll be watching the skies from here until the end of the season, and take whatever Mother Nature throws at us.' Since the start of the year, the National Weather Service has lost nearly 600 employees due to cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration. After backlash, earlier this month, 126 positions, including 'mission-critical' ones, were approved for hire as exceptions to a federal hiring freeze. Erica Grow Cei, a National Weather Service spokesperson, said these were approved to 'stabilize frontline operations' and added that the new hires will fill positions at field offices where there's "the greatest operational need." The nearly 600 employees that NWS has lost in the last six months has been about the same amount the agency lost in the 15 years prior, according to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union that represents weather service employees. Fahy called the quick exodus unprecedented, saying it "definitely disrupts the entire staffing requirements for the National Weather Service" in a way previous reductions did not. Jeff Masters, former NOAA Hurricane Hunter and a meteorologist who writes about extreme weather for Yale Climate Connections, says most of those roles won't be filled in time to help this hurricane season. 'This was done very inefficiently,' Masters said. 'First, all of the probationary employees were fired, then incentives were given to get the most experienced managers out through early retirement. Now they're trying to do some rehiring, and then it's just not being done very efficiently.' Masters said that the local offices have lost critical institutional knowledge and expertise. Nationwide, reduced staffing has also meant fewer balloon launches, which are essential for collecting upper-atmosphere temperature, humidity and wind speed data critical to accurate storm modeling. A reduction in launches may lead to larger errors in hurricane tracking, says Masters. Faced with these gaps, offices across the country are lending staff — either in person or virtually — to ensure continuous coverage during major weather events. Fahy said that this is what will keep Texas as whole 'in very good shape and ready for hurricane season.' 'It's kind of like binding hands and helping each other out wherever we can,' said Jason Johnson, hydrologist in charge at the NWS Fort Worth office. 'We've expanded our training so meteorologists and hydrologists in other regions are ready to support us if needed.' Despite the cuts, Johnson says Texas NWS offices remain focused on protecting lives and property. 'We're not expecting any drop in the quality or quantity of information that we provide,' he said. Local officials are also stepping up their preparation efforts. 'Now more than ever, local preparation is key,' said Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones, who represents portions of Houston, Katy, Stafford, Tomball and Waller, at a press conference. 'With drastic cuts… what we do here at home in Houston and Harris County is extra important.' Her office is hosting 11 hurricane preparedness workshops and has distributed hundreds of portable air conditioners, emergency kits, and bottled water. They also plan to clear more than 7 million feet of ditches to prevent urban flooding. 'We can't wait,' Briones said. 'So local government, with our nonprofit community, with our private sector, with our places of worship, our schools, this is up to all of us.' Meteorologists and emergency officials alike urge residents to stay informed, prepare emergency kits, and heed evacuation orders if issued. 'It's your responsibility to monitor the weather,' Fox, the meteorologist at the Houston office, said. 'On a beautiful day, just think about your plan — because when the time comes to act, it's too late to start planning.' Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Heat builds across Maryland this week
A few isolated storms could develop across western Maryland this evening, with a low chance that one or two could drift as far east as the I-95 corridor. Any storm that does form may be capable of producing damaging winds and small hail. Temperatures topped out in the upper 70s to low 80s Monday afternoon. Tonight, skies will gradually clear behind any passing storms, with overnight lows settling around 70 degrees. A cold front approaches the region Tuesday morning and will pass through during the late morning to early afternoon hours. While most of the area will remain dry, far southern Maryland could see a brief shower or thunderstorm during the afternoon. Tuesday's high temperatures will reach the low to mid 80s before cooler and slightly less humid air filters in Tuesday night. Overnight lows will dip into the mid 60s. By midweek, summerlike heat begins to build. Highs Wednesday will climb into the upper 80s. On Thursday, Baltimore could see its first 90-degree day of the year as temperatures peak near the 90-degree mark under mostly sunny skies. The heat continues into Friday, with highs again reaching the upper 80s to near 90. Humidity will also increase, and a few storms could pop up late in the day. A stronger cold front arrives this weekend, bringing more widespread storm chances. Saturday afternoon looks particularly unsettled, with a high likelihood of thunderstorms. Rain and storm chances linger into Father's Day on Sunday, with cooler highs in the 70s. The unsettled pattern is expected to continue into Monday and Tuesday next week, with isolated showers and storms and highs holding in the 70s.
