Latest news with #ChrisDolce
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
On This Date: Early Morning Tornadoes Strike New York City, Including Brooklyn's First In Over A Century
New York City was hit by a pair of tornadoes 18 years ago, one of which was the first to strike Brooklyn in more than a century. As New Yorker's were waking up Aug. 8, 2007, severe thunderstorms packing a tornado threat struck the city in the 6 a.m. EDT hour. The first tornado hit Staten Island, where it produced EF1 damage, mainly to trees. It tracked nearly two miles from around Castleton Corners to Tompkinsville. Two minutes after that tornado dissipated, another stronger one formed and struck Brooklyn, downing trees and causing structural damage to roofs along a four-mile long path. The worst damage, rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, was seen in the Bay Ridge area. This is considered a strong tornado, packing winds between 111 to 135 mph. In addition to the tornadoes, the storms also produced significant flash flooding during the morning rush across New York City, including on several subway lines and roads. Tornadoes don't happen every year in the local area covered by the National Weather Service in Upton, New York, which includes far southeast New York, northeast New Jersey and southern Connecticut. Since 2008, there were four years with no tornadoes at all, but as many as 12 in 2018, and 10 in 2021, according to the National Weather Service. All other years had between 1 to 4 twisters. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
New World Record-Longest 'Megaflash' Lightning Confirmed. It Covered A Distance From East Texas To Near Kansas City
Scientists have confirmed a new world record for the longest lightning flash in a thunderstorm complex, which hit the Great Plains 8 years ago this fall. The so-called megaflash lightning extended a distance of 515 miles from northeast Texas to near Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2017, according to the findings by Georgia Tech researchers who were supported by NASA. It lasted 7.39 seconds and struck the ground below in various spots more than 100 times. This distance beats out the previous record megaflash of 477.2 miles set April 29, 2020, in the southern United States, according to a comprehensive database of weather records maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. You can see the vein-like appearance of the new record megaflash shaded in green in the analysis below. The blue and red dots show where cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred. Scientists found this lightning flash was not previously detected because of how data was originally processed from NOAA's GOES satellite. It was discovered when data was reanalyzed last year, so that's why the year in which this new record occurred is older (2017) than the previous one (2020). "The 2017 event is notable in that it was one of the first storms where NOAA's newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) documented lightning 'megaflashes' – extremely long duration/distance lightning discharge events," the World Meteorological Organization said in a press release. A Georgia Tech press release said most lightning flashes stretch 10 miles or less, but longer ones covering distances of hundreds of miles happen often enough for satellites to see them. They are typically spotted in the Great Plains, where what meteorologists call mesoscale convective systems frequently strike. These complexes of thunderstorms are notorious for producing prolific lightning as well as flash flooding, high winds, hail and sometimes tornadoes. While this megaflash is a new record for distance, it's not in the top spot for how long it lasted. A bolt of lightning in 2020 over South America last 17 seconds, or nearly 10 seconds longer than this October 2017 event in the Great Plains, as senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman wrote about. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New World Record-Longest 'Megaflash' Lightning Confirmed. It Covered A Distance From East Texas To Near Kansas City
Scientists have confirmed a new world record for the longest lightning flash in a thunderstorm complex, which hit the Great Plains 8 years ago this fall. The so-called megaflash lightning extended a distance of 515 miles from northeast Texas to near Kansas City on Oct. 22, 2017, according to the findings by Georgia Tech researchers who were supported by NASA. It lasted 7.39 seconds and struck the ground below in various spots more than 100 times. This distance beats out the previous record megaflash of 477.2 miles set April 29, 2020, in the southern United States, according to a comprehensive database of weather records maintained by the World Meteorological Organization. You can see the vein-like appearance of the new record megaflash shaded in green in the analysis below. The blue and red dots show where cloud-to-ground lightning strikes occurred. Scientists found this lightning flash was not previously detected because of how data was originally processed from NOAA's GOES satellite. It was discovered when data was reanalyzed last year, so that's why the year in which this new record occurred is older (2017) than the previous one (2020). "The 2017 event is notable in that it was one of the first storms where NOAA's newest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) documented lightning 'megaflashes' – extremely long duration/distance lightning discharge events," the World Meteorological Organization said in a press release. A Georgia Tech press release said most lightning flashes stretch 10 miles or less, but longer ones covering distances of hundreds of miles happen often enough for satellites to see them. They are typically spotted in the Great Plains, where what meteorologists call mesoscale convective systems frequently strike. These complexes of thunderstorms are notorious for producing prolific lightning as well as flash flooding, high winds, hail and sometimes tornadoes. While this megaflash is a new record for distance, it's not in the top spot for how long it lasted. A bolt of lightning in 2020 over South America last 17 seconds, or nearly 10 seconds longer than this October 2017 event in the Great Plains, as senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman wrote about. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tropical Storm Andrea Hemmed And Hawed In The Central Atlantic Bringing A Lackluster Start To Hurricane Season
After multiple days of burst and bust, Tropical Storm Andrea formed in the open Central Atlantic, kicking off the Atlantic hurricane season, but this fish storm didn't last long. Andrea moved rapidly east-northeastward at 15 to 20 mph well to the southeast and east of Bermuda. The National Hurricane Center tracked the area of low pressure that became Andrea for two days, but the storm struggled to organize at first. An increase in persistent thunderstorm activity near the center of that low allowed the NHC to deem it the first Atlantic tropical storm of 2025. Thunderstorms quickly fell apart as the storm hit chilly waters and strong wind shear. On average (1991-2020), the first Atlantic storm of the season has formed by June 20, so Andrea's formation was about right on time. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center Watching For Possible Formation Of The Atlantic's First Tropical Depression Or Storm
An area of low pressure in the northern Atlantic Ocean is being tracked by the National Hurricane Center for the possible formation of the season's first tropical depression or storm. The low-pressure system is located about 500 miles east of Bermuda and has become better organized since the NHC began tracking it on Sunday. Only a small increase in shower and thunderstorm activity could allow it to form into Tropical Depression One or Tropical Storm Andrea today. This system's window of opportunity to develop is small since environmental conditions become increasingly hostile by Tuesday. The good news is that since the system's location is far from land, as depicted in red on the map below, it's no threat to the United States or anywhere else. On average (1991-2020), the first Atlantic storm of the season has formed by June 20, so if Andrea develops out of this disturbance it'd be right on time. Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with for 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.
