NYC Heat Stresses Power Grid, More Warm Weather to Come
Bloomberg Radio Meteorologist Rob Carolan breaks down this week's weather forecast and why the East Coast is experiencing this extreme heat wave. (Source: Bloomberg)
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
20 people injured by lightning strike at South Carolina lake
Twenty people were injured by a reported lightning strike at a South Carolina lake on Tuesday, fire officials confirmed. First responders assessed eight adults and 12 minors for electrocution after reports of a lightning strike hitting the water, Lexington County Fire Chief Kyle Minick of the patients were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the County of Lexington said in a statement. All patients are expected to recover. A preliminary storm report from the National Weather Service indicates the lightning struck at around 4:43 p.m. Multiple fire, sheriff and emergency medical service agencies in Lexington County responded to the Dominion Beach Park at Dreher Dam."Strong relationships with other local agencies played a critical role in ensuring a quick, coordinated response, allowing first responders to assess patients efficiently and provide the best possible care" the county's statement said. Dominion Beach Park is expected to reopen Wednesday following safety assessments. Last week, a 15-year-old boy was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm in Manhattan after a fast-moving storm rolled in. The boy is expected to recover but was hospitalized with second-degree burns covering his torso and legs. Marine veteran's wife arrested by ICE, still in custody Reporter's Notebook: Some good news about AI West Virginia's "coal country" still recovering from February floods
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Extreme heat, storms take toll at Club World Cup
Bayern Munich's Sacha Boey takes a hydration break during his team's Club World Cup game against Benfica in Charlotte on Tuesday (Kevin C. Cox) Furnace-like heat and the threat of thunder and lightning are wreaking havoc at the Club World Cup -- and more of the same is likely at the 2026 World Cup. With a brutal heatwave blanketing swathes of the eastern United States, adapting to the weather has become a key focus for coaches and players. Advertisement Borussia Dortmund took the unusual step of leaving their substitutes in the dressing room for the first half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting on the bench in blazing sunshine. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca meanwhile cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsisu). Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the weather could ultimately shape the destiny of the tournament. "I think that this tournament will be decided not by the best team, but the team that can adapt to these weather conditions the best. They will probably win this tournament," Kovac said. Advertisement While cooling breaks midway through each half have become standard during the tournament, Dortmund, like other teams, are taking extra steps to mitigate the brutal heat and humidity. "Our boys are very well taken care of by our doctors and the medical staff," Kovac said. "We have very cold towels. We put them in ice baths. The boys also need to cool down their legs and their feet in cold water and ice baths." The experience of the Club World Cup is likely a preview of what can be expected at next year's men's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat at the tournament for players and spectators, citing climate change as a cause of "extreme heat" events that were "more frequent and intense". Advertisement - Storm disruptions - The study concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the 2026 World Cup experienced temperatures that frequently exceeded the commonly accepted safe thresholds for wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) -- a widely used measure for heat stress. The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most fierce. In addition to the brutal heat and humidity, teams at the Club World Cup have also had to deal with matches being halted due to the threat of lightning. On Tuesday, Boca Juniors' game against Auckland City became the fifth match of the tournament to experience a lengthy delay due to public safety regulations used in the United States that mandate play is halted whenever lightning is within 10 miles (16.1 kilometres) of a stadium. Advertisement A weather delay in Benfica's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours. National Weather Service official Ben Schott, who advises FIFA and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says the kind of weather affecting the ongoing competition is not out of the ordinary, and said teams and fans next year should plan accordingly. "Nothing that we're seeing right now is unusual even though we are breaking records," Schott told AFP. "Most of the eastern United States is breaking records, and then that happens almost every summer. To expect something similar next year as a possibility is something that people should prepare for if you're going to come and enjoy the games." Advertisement While roasting heat was an issue when the United States last hosted the World Cup finals in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings. That is due to increasingly sophisticated forecasting technology, Schott said. "We're at a point now where we can start to see things almost a week in advance and predict them pretty accurately, as compared to 15-20 years ago," Schott said. "The advances in meteorology since we last had the World Cup here in 1994 have been substantial." Schott said thunder and lightning were "par for the course" in several regions of North America. Advertisement "This is pretty typical for United States weather for this time of the year," Schott said. "We get a lot of moisture that pumps in from the Gulf of Mexico, and they get the afternoon thunderstorms pop up. "So as we move towards World Cup 2026, things that we're seeing right now would be quite typical to be seen again." FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by AFP. rcw/as
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
New State Laws To Protect People, Pets In Wildfires, Extreme Weather
A brush fire threatens a neighborhood. From Washington to Utah and Florida, several state governors enacted laws this year to better prepare for wildfires and extreme weather to safeguard residents and even their pets amid a changing U.S. climate that is hotter, drier and more volatile. 'Wildfire activity is picking up nationwide,' reported the National Interagency Fire Center on June 24. 'Several geographic areas in the U.S. are seeing hot, dry conditions and dry fuels, increasing the potential for new ignitions and large fire growth. Rapid response remains key to protecting lives, property and natural resources.' That day there were nearly 6,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel dealing with 29 large uncontained and 32 managed fires burning throughout the nation. As of June 24, the center noted fires had burned over 1.64 million acres in the United States this year. The U.S. sustained 64,897 wildfires last year, up 15% from 2023. The number of acres burnt last year by wildfires jumped 231% to 8.92 acres from the 2.69 acres charred in 2023. Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report, 2024. (Large fires burn at least 100 acres in ... More timber fuel models and 300 acres in grass fuel models.) 'In 2024, the reported number of wildfires and acres burned nationwide was noticeably higher than the five and 10-year averages. Seven out of the 10 geographic areas saw above average numbers of wildfires and acres burned. The Southern Area had the highest number of wildfires, while the Northwest Area had the most acres burned,' stated the NICC 'Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics Annual Report, 2024.' Wildfires last year destroyed 4,552 buildings (2,406 homes, 2,066 minor structures and 80 commercial/mixed residential buildings). Most buildings (32%) destroyed were in the Southwest. Flames from the Palisades Fire burns a home during a powerful windstorm in the Pacific Palisades ... More neighborhood of Los Angeles. In Colorado on March 31, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1009 in a vegetative fuel mitigation law. This new law enables a fire department to create a program to remove dead or dry plants that can catch fire on private property . The new law contains numerous details about requirements regarding notices to those who own or occupy the private property with the problematic vegetation. It also addresses compliance and fines for violations. The legislation was introduced this year because Colorado has been experiencing long and severe wildfire seasons that present year-round threats to some communities. Removing problematic dry plant material is to create areas around homes where firefighters can more easily maintain defenses to protect property threatened by fire. The new law cited a Colorado State Forest Service guide to better protect homes from wildfires. It is called 'The Home Ignition Zone'. The guide describes how people can create three rings around buildings to remove/reduce fire hazards such as vegetation that could fuel flames. On April 10 the governor signed Senate Bill 25-015 requiring the state's Wildfire Information Resource Center (under the Colorado Department of Public Safety) to include hyperlinks on its website that connect to other information resources. These hyperlinks are to provide public emergency information and wildfire updates for each the 64 counties in Colorado. In neighboring New Mexico on April 7, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham enacted Senate Bill 33 called the 'Wildfire Prepared Act.' The new law mandates that the state fire planning task force develops standards to create defensible zones around buildings to better withstand wildfires the new law also supports technical assistance training and support for local governments to be better prepared for wildfires. Melanie Kenderdine, state secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, issued a statement in March saying, 'The 2,500-plus structures lost to wildfires between 2022 and 2024 alone underscore the need for this critical legislation. It will give homeowners resources to make their properties safer and maintain insurance coverage, while, at the same time, helping to protect our neighborhoods and communities.' Firefighters prepare to go and fight a wildfire in 2017 outside Panguitch, Utah. To raise Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order in late April to create a wildfire management working group of state agency leaders to improve emergency response coordination with other government stakeholders. Among the group's duties were to identify areas facing the highest risks for wildfires and mitigation recommendations. 'When it comes to wildfires, the unexpected has become the new normal,' Jamie Barnes, state forester and director of the forestry, fire and state lands division, noted then in a press statement. 'Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our planning efforts can help reduce risks to watersheds and landscapes across the state – and strengthen our overall wildfire preparedness.' A volunteer takes care of pets in a makeshift shelter in a school in St. Augustine, Fla. before a ... More hurricane. On July 27 a new Washington law takes effect to accommodate pets in shelters during an emergencies or extreme weather events. House Bill 1201 noted that one of the most pressing issues in whether a person decides to evacuate from their home is worrying about being able to find shelter for their pets. 'Companion animal owners may refuse evacuation, attempt to reenter evacuated sites to rescue their companion animals, and experience grief, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder due to separation from their companion animal during an emergency,' the bill stated. 'The legislature further finds that gaps in public preparedness and cosheltering opportunities during a disaster or extreme weather event increase the risk to public health and safety.' The bill noted that the state lawmakers created legislation to improve public preparedness and identify shelters for pets so that in a disaster or during extreme weather Washington residents don't have to choose between seeking safety elsewhere or staying with their pets at home. The Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the law April 21. It requires state jurisdictions to identify emergency emergency shelters that can take in pets. It also calls for agencies to have emergency preparedness plans that include shelters for companion animals. The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) issued a media statement April 21 commending Ferguson and bill sponsor state Rep. Mari Leavitt (D) for the new law that takes effect July 1. 'Pets are family—and no one should have to leave theirs behind in a crisis,' said Rep. Leavitt. 'This law makes sure our emergency planning reflects the reality that so many people rely on their pets for comfort, protection, and connection,' Leavitt declared in a statement after the bill was signed. She noted the new law requires local emergency planners to identify shelters where people and pets can evacuate together include those shelters in official preparedness documents and publish that information online for people to be better prepared in emergencies. The ASPCA stated that 80% of people who prematurely reenter an evacuation site are trying to rescue their pets. 'Not only does this put the pet owners' life in danger, but it also endangers first responders, who put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of the community. A lack of public preparedness, unclear state guidance, and low rate of pet-friendly emergency shelter facilities or co-shelters, where people can take and stay with or near their pets, all enhance these risks,' the ASPCA added. In contrast with the Washington law, Florida took steps to punish those who abandoned their pets during natural disasters an extreme weather events. Two men rescue a dog from floodwaters in North Carolina after a hurricane. In Florida on May 28, Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted legislation to outlaw abandoning a person from abandoning or leaving a dog restrained/or tied up during natural disasters. The law informally was called 'Trooper's Law.' It provides criminal penalties for tying up a dog outside to abandon it during a natural disaster. The legislation arose from a situation last October during Hurricane Milton when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper discovered a dog surrounded by rising storm water and tied to a fence off of Interstate 75. The dog was rescued, named Trooper and taken to the Tallahassee Humane Society where it was adopted. Effective Oct. 1, anyone who restrains a dog outside during a natural disaster and thus abandons it commits a third-degree punishable according to state law or fined up to $10,000, or both. 'Across Florida, we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response,' DeSantis stated May 28 after signing the Senate Bill 150 and noting he was 'proud' to enact Trooper's Law that day. 'Florida stands by man's best friend.' Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt also ordered in late April the formation of the Wildfire An aerial view of homes destroyed by Friday's wildfire March 16, 2025 in Stillwater, Okla. Response Working Group after wildfires that started March 14 spread swiftly through seven counties—killing 4 people, injuring 200 injured and destroying 515 homes and businesses. His request came after a preliminary report identified 'critical failures and urgent areas for improvement in the state's wildfire response,' the governor's office noted. Among the issues raised were: 'Wildfires will come; we can't always stop that. But we can control how we respond,' Stitt noted.
