
Hurricane Gil forms in the eastern Pacific but is not forecast to threaten land
The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was about 1,080 miles (1,740 kilometers) west-southwest of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.
Gil had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect. The storm was expected to keep traveling to the west-northwest in the coming days.
Gil was strengthening
during
a busy period for storms
in the eastern Pacific.
Another named storm, Iona, which also was once a hurricane, was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression as it moved far to the west of Hawaii. It, too, was not threatening land.
Other storms could develop in the coming days in the eastern Pacific, forecasters said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
8 hours ago
- The Hill
Storm Floris batters Scotland with 90 mph winds, disrupts travel and festivals
LONDON (AP) — Authorities in Scotland canceled trains, closed parks and warned people to tie down backyard trampolines as an unusually strong summer storm toppled trees, felled power lines and disrupted travel across northern Britain. The U.K.'s Meteorological Office on Monday issued an 'amber' wind warning in Scotland for Storm Floris, meaning there is potential risk to lives and property, especially from large waves in coastal areas. Network Rail Scotland said wind gusts of up to 90 mph (145kph) had brought down trees across lines and damaged overhead wires. More than 22,000 properties were without electricity, operator Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said. After reports of mobile homes being blown over on the Isle of Skye off Scotland's northwest coast, police Scotland said that 'anyone with campervans should remain parked in sheltered areas until the wind speed reduces.' The wind and heavy rain hit at the busiest time of year for tourism, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the Edinburgh Fringe and other arts festivals. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, one of the city's biggest tourist draws, cancelled Monday's scheduled outdoor performance by massed ranks of bagpipers and drummers at Edinburgh Castle. Train companies canceled services across much of Scotland and some ferry crossings were also scrapped. Floris, named by weather authorities, also hit parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England, the Met Office said. Scottish government minister Angela Constance urged people to be careful if traveling and 'consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey.' 'Please make sure you've got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up,' she said. Train operator ScotRail urged 'anyone with garden equipment, such as tents, trampolines or furniture, to secure items so that they don't blow onto the tracks and interfere with lineside equipment.'


Chicago Tribune
9 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings unhealthy air to large swaths of the Midwest
Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air for at least the third day. Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would remain for much of the day. Canadian environmental officials said smoke from the forest fires would persist into Sunday for some areas. The Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir, which assesses air quality in real time, listed the city of Minneapolis as having some of the worst air pollution in the world since Friday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was expected to reach the red or unhealthy category in a large swath of Minnesota. AQI is a system used to communicate how much air pollution is in the air. It breaks pollution down into six categories and colors, along with advice on what is and is not safe to do. They range from 'good' (the color green) to 'hazardous' (maroon). People with lung disease, heart disease, children, older adults and pregnant women are most susceptible to the poor breathing conditions. 'What's been unique in this go-around is that we've had this prolonged stretch of smoke particulates towards the surface, so that's where we've really had the air quality in the red here for the past few days,' said Joe Strus, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in Minnesota. 'We've sort of been dealing with this, day in and day out, where you walk outside and you can taste the smoke, you can smell it,' Strus said. 'Sometimes we've been in higher concentrations than others. Other times it's just looked a little hazy out there.' The air was improving Saturday, he said, specifically across the Twin Cities and southwestern Minnesota, but state health officials warned that conditions could remain unhealthy for sensitive groups through Monday. Officials said the smoke could spread as far south as Tennessee and Missouri. The EPA's Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better. Anything below 50 is classified as 'healthy.' Fifty to 100 is 'moderate' while 100-150 is unhealthy for 'sensitive groups.' Anything above 150 is bad for everyone. Parts of Minnesota exceeded that number on Saturday. Health officials advise people with asthma and other lung disease, heart disease, children and older adults to avoid prolonged exposure to smoke and limit strenuous activities. They said to avoid burning things that could make the air pollution worse and to keep windows and doors closed. 'This is something that's become part of our summer here the last few years,' Strus said, 'and I think a lot of us are just looking forward to seeing a little more movement in the atmospheric winds and we'll be able to hopefully disperse some of the smoke out of here in the next few days.'
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Residents raise red flags as flood-stricken town teeters on edge of disaster: 'Had to use rain boots to walk around in my kitchen'
Residents raise red flags as flood-stricken town teeters on edge of disaster: 'Had to use rain boots to walk around in my kitchen' Rising sea levels are a major concern for many coastal communities, with widespread risks that can extend across vast regions and entire states. One example of an at-risk area is Pescadero, a small farming community on the California coast. What's happening? In Part 3 of a series on sea level rise from Bay Area-based public radio station KALW, an emergency and disaster preparedness reporter looked at how flooding is affecting an unincorporated town in San Mateo County. Although Pescadero's residents have been dealing with flooding for decades, as the mid-July audio episode demonstrates, the issue is worsening and highlighting disturbing socioeconomic divides. The town is situated on a floodplain, making its residents and businesses especially vulnerable. Home to large immigrant and agricultural communities, these populations can be disproportionately impacted. "Last January, the water was so high that I had to use rain boots to walk around in my kitchen," flower farmer Maria Juana Zavala Rizo shared. "I prepared dinner with my boots." Reporter Wren Farrell took a tour of the area with nonprofit leader Irma Rodriguez Mitton, whose organization is involved with community responses to climate change. Together, they observed some homes being raised off the ground to prevent future flooding. "If you're a property owner with means and you can raise your home. That's great. That's one home raised out of the floodplain," Rodriguez Mitton told KALW. "But the community isn't raised out of the floodplain." Why is this concerning? Marginalized communities can be disproportionately impacted by flooding and other extreme weather events. As flooding increases in frequency and intensity due to rising global temperatures, these communities can be repeatedly hit with dangerous conditions, life-changing home damage, and financial hardship. Dealing with these persistent worries can also take a toll on residents' mental well-being. Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely Somewhat Depends on the time of year Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. With great emotion, farmer Zavala told KALW that river waters had "entered [her] home during the rainy season for the past 28 years." She attended a Board of Supervisors meeting in 2023 to tell local officials about the ongoing challenges, which have included disruptions to road access and emergency response times. "Since that meeting," the public radio station reported, Zavala's landlord "installed cinder block walls in the lower parts of the home to keep the water out." Her house doesn't flood anymore. What's being done to protect towns from flooding? In California, the Resource Conservation District is working with property owners to facilitate floodplain restoration and sediment management, according to KALW. Coordinated efforts are underway across multiple agencies to prepare for droughts, heavy storms, and rising sea levels. Meanwhile, innovators have been developing the concept of "sponge cities" to absorb rainwater with parks, gardens, and other natural infrastructure. These techniques are already being implemented in cities like Los Angeles and Pittsburgh to mitigate urban flood risks. Individuals can enhance their personal storm resilience by taking steps to disaster-proof their homes and generate grid-independent power from cleaner energy sources. Installing solar panels with backup battery storage can help homeowners withstand grid outages caused by extreme weather. When prospective customers compare installer quotes using EnergySage's free online tool, they can save up to $10,000 on the upfront costs of going solar — reducing, in the process, the heat-trapping gases that can drive rising global temperatures and exacerbate floods. Meanwhile, as the recent storytelling from Pescadero residents makes clear, officials and advocates must collaborate to ensure that not only homeowners but property owners in general are supported in taking local actions that protect all residents. That means landlords too must be expected to deploy effective solutions equitably. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.