Freak storm leads to tragedy on Lake Tahoe
A sudden storm rolled in over Lake Tahoe causing extreme conditions while people were enjoying a sunny summer day.
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Millions in US sweat out first extreme heat wave of year
A potentially life-threatening heat wave enveloped the eastern third of the United States on Monday impacting nearly 160 million people, with temperatures this week expected to reach 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) in the New York metropolitan area. The country's first significant scorching heat of the year triggered health warnings as it arrived over the weekend. Dangerously high temperatures are forecast through Wednesday in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. "This extreme heat will not just be uncomfortable and oppressive for New Yorkers," warned Mayor Eric Adams, adding that each year heat claims the lives of 500 people in this city of eight million. "It's going to be brutal and dangerous if you do not treat it with the understanding that we want you to," he added. As sweltering heat baked the city, authorities urged seniors, people with health problems and those without air conditioning to stay hydrated and seek help at designated cooling centers such as libraries and recreation facilities. Heat records tumbled across parts of the US Northeast. In Central Park, known as the lungs of Manhattan, Monday's temperature of 96F (36C) tied a record that has stood since 1888, according to the National Weather Service. "Extreme Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories across much of the eastern third of the country (are) affecting nearly 160 million people" across at least 29 states, the NWS reported. "This level of HeatRisk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," the agency warned. Meteorologists are describing the intensifying weather pattern as a heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps air and leads to steadily rising thermal readings. Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, leading to more fatalities than natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes. For many in the Big Apple, avoiding work in the searing heat was not an option. "We have to endure it, because otherwise what are we going to survive on?" Manuel, a manual worker repairing a building facade in New York's Harlem neighborhood, told AFP. "Sometimes we stop because it's a danger. We don't all have the same energy, but you have to endure," he added. In the Washington Heights neighborhood, authorities opened several fire hydrants so residents could seek relief with the gushing water. One of the local heroes was Ronald Marcelin, a 44-year-old air conditioning technician sweating profusely as he repaired a pizzeria's AC unit. "I'm taking the heat so that everyone else can cool down," Marcelin said with a grin. - Triple digits - The soaring temperatures come just as New Yorkers head to the polls Tuesday -- with a forecast high of 102F (39C) -- for the Democratic primary that will decide the party's mayoral candidate. It promises to be a tight race between Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking political resurrection after resigning in disgrace as state governor in 2021, and rising left-wing star Zohran Mamdani. Over the weekend, Cuomo urged residents to cast their votes even if the temperatures hit triple digits. In Washington, the heat index -- what the temperature feels like with humidity factored in -- was forecast to soar as high as 110F (43C) on Monday, and the mayor's office urged residents to take advantage of cooling centers and public swimming pools. Scientists say extreme heat waves are a clear sign of global warming, and they are expected to become more frequent, longer, and more intense. Fueled by human-caused climate change, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally -- and 2025 is projected to rank among the top three. gl/arb/mlm/ksb
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'The water was just screaming' - Eight dead in Lake Tahoe after boats capsize
The skies were as blue as the famous waters of Lake Tahoe when Gloria Brigantino and her friends decided to anchor and get a rum cocktail. It was starting to feel chilly, and winds were picking up. On shore, a band was playing, and people were swimming - children running around in their swimsuits as the first official weekend of summer kicked off in this popular California holiday spot. It seemed that within minutes on Saturday that everything changed. A storm moved in, sending tents and canopies flying. White-capped water and 8ft (2.5m) swells caused multiple boats to capsize, including a 27ft vessel filled with tourists. On Monday, officials confirmed two more people aboard that boat were found dead - bringing the death toll to eight. Ms Brigantino, who was visiting the popular alpine lake between California and Nevada with friends from Texas and California, watched as boats crashed into each other, ripping from their anchors and smashing onto shore. The howling winds that reached 35mph (56km/h) even brought in a brief snow. She watched safely on land as the boat she and her friends had been aboard capsized, sinking some of her group's personal belongings. "Some owners of the boats were crying as their boats were wrecked," she told the BBC, adding that people risked their lives to help charter boats unload passengers as people were frantically trying to get off the water amid the worsening conditions. By then the band had packed up and fled. Their stage was now underwater, she said. "I could smell gas leaking, some gentlemen helped take passengers off a pontoon boat that got stuck in the shore," Ms Brigantino said. "The waves just bashed it so rapidly they ran off, fell off, many were crying." Within 35 minutes of coming ashore, she says she counted nine boats piled in front of them. Ms Brigantino is a self-described cowgirl and was away with her friends who all work in the Western industry with horses. They were there to have fun and help a friend make Western-themed social media content. Photos and videos from their trip showed the group dancing with drinks and posing in festive hats on the boat before the storm. Ms Brigantino said she grew up in Lake Tahoe and knows the weather can change fast. "It happened suddenly. The water was just screaming toward the shore," she said. "It was bad." The poor weather was forecast, Ms Brigantino says, but no-one expected a squall of such force. She and others lamented they hadn't seen a storm like that in the normally serene Lake Tahoe in decades, if ever. Authorities on Monday announced they had found two additional bodies after a gold 27ft tourist boat capsized. Ten people from that vessel fell into the water around 15:00 local time on Saturday and only two were found alive, according to the Coast Guard. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office has not identified any of the victims – though they did say the six people initially found dead were all adults. "The identifications of the deceased from this terrible incident will not be released until proper notifications have been made," authorities said in a statement. The accident happened in the south-western corner of Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. The area is known for its sunshine - an alpine lake surrounded by mountains in the Sierra Nevada. The storm was gone almost as quickly as it arrived. Ms Brigantino's photos and videos show the grey skies and massive swells disappearing by 16:30, with sunshine and clear sapphire waters returning to Lake Tahoe.
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Hundreds Of Temperature Records Could Be Broken During This Week's Dangerous Heat Wave
As many as 250 daily temperature records could be tied or broken this week as dozens of states in the East Coast, Midwest and South navigate a staggering heat wave. From Philadelphia to Indianapolis, cities are experiencing dangerous levels of heat that could go into the triple digits as a 'heat dome' — a high-pressure system that traps heat — engulfs these regions. The high temperatures are set to last through Wednesday in some places and could pose serious health risks to people in the affected areas. In Boston, New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina,temperatures could hit 100 degrees, either tying past records or shattering them. And according to AccuWeather, approximately 170 million people are set to be impacted, with 28 states issuing some type of heat alert. Heat domes are growing more frequent and intense as a byproduct of climate change. And the heat waves that result can be especially dangerous for elderly people, pregnant people and young children who are more likely to be susceptible to health conditions like heat stroke, heat exhaustion and respiratory problems. People who are unhoused and people who lack access to cooling systems are also more vulnerable, given the lack of respite they have from soaring temperatures. Extreme heat has increasingly proven fatal in the last few decades as sweltering temperatures have become more common. In 2024, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association identified a 117% increase in heat-related deaths from 1999 to 2023, including a steady uptick since 2016. Experts have urged people to exercise caution in places that are subject to the heat wave this week. They advise people to use air conditioning if possible and to seek out public spaces with these systems if they don't have access to them. Local leaders in multiple cities, including New York, Cleveland and Nashville, Tennessee, have set up cooling centers in community spaces like libraries and senior centers in an attempt to address these gaps. Additionally, experts encourage people to wear lightweight clothing that's also light in color, because it reflects the sun, and to drink plenty of water. Key symptoms to watch for related to heat include cramps, dizziness, nausea and excessive sweating, they say. 'Caution should be taken if spending any appreciable amount of time outside, such as by staying hydrated with non-alcoholic beverages, taking frequent breaks and seeking shade,' AccuWeather meteorologist Jacob Hinson said. One characteristic of the current heat wave is that nighttime temperatures are expected to stay high, which can make it even more deadly because of the limited reprieve that people have. 'This level of heat risk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief,' reads a Monday advisoryfrom the National Weather Service. June's heat wave comes on the heels of a series of record-breaking temperatures in recent years. Last summer was the Earth's hottest one on record for the second straight year — and this summer is set to be warmer than average as well.
