Latest news with #Oravec
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Canada wildfire: Thick smoke chokes Midwest, Northeast US; air alerts widen
Thick smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires drifted across the border, causing hazy conditions over parts of the Midwest and northeastern United States on Sunday. According to government records, Canada is experiencing its second-worst wildfire season, with nearly 4,000 fires documented this year, NPR reported. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The cross-border smoke has impacted air quality across several US states. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota experienced concerning air quality levels this weekend. Air quality alerts were issued for parts of Illinois and Indiana. Authorities in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine advised residents to reduce outdoor activities due to smoke pollution. Bob Oravec, National Weather Service Lead Forecaster, told NPR that current wind patterns are facilitating the movement of polluted air from Canada into the US. "Air is moving at all levels and a lot of times it'll move in the same direction through the whole depth of the atmosphere, so the smoke is rising into the winds and the winds just transport it downstream, like anything — like a leaf getting blown," Oravec explained. Minnesota's Pollution Control Agency extended its statewide air quality alert until noon on Monday, August 4th. According to Minnesota Public Radio, the state is experiencing its longest air quality alert since the agency began issuing alerts in 2008, expected to last seven days. Some areas of Minnesota saw improved conditions on Sunday. Earlier in the weekend, the agency predicted the air quality index (AQI) would reach the severe "red" level statewide, considered unhealthy for all residents. The Pollution Control Agency stated that even healthy individuals might experience symptoms including eye irritation, coughing, or breathing difficulties. They warned of more severe impacts for others. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Sensitive or more exposed individuals may experience more serious health effects, including worsening of existing heart or lung disease and respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, possibly leading to an asthma attack, heart attack, or stroke," according to the Pollution Control Agency statement. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources extended air quality alerts until noon on Monday, August 4th, primarily in southeastern counties. Michigan officials also extended alerts across all counties through Monday. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported over 700 active fires across Canada on Sunday, predominantly in southern Manitoba, north of Minnesota. Over 500 fires remain uncontrolled, forcing thousands of Canadians to evacuate. Canada has faced wildfires throughout the year. Two individuals perished in a southeastern Manitoba wildfire in May. Similar smoke conditions affected the US in June. Oravec suggests poor air quality could persist in US regions. "It looks like that pattern maintains itself going forward through this week, so it doesn't really appear to be any big break. There may be a day or so where there's a temporary break to it, but overall it looks like there is potential for additional smoke to be transported southeastward into the United States," he said. On Sunday afternoon, IQAir ranked Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis among the US cities with the most polluted air.
Mint
03-08-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Canada Wildfires Worsen Air Quality Across Midwest, Northeast US
(Bloomberg) -- Smoke and grit from hundreds of forest fires have spread across large parts of Canada and the northern US, sending air quality across the Midwest and northeast US and Toronto to unhealthy levels. Air quality deteriorated to moderate in Chicago early Sunday with some areas unhealthy for sensitive groups, and to unhealthy in Milwaukee and downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city, according to Alerts were raised across Canada from the Northwest Territories to Quebec, as well as in 10 US states from Minnesota to Maine, including Upstate and western New York. With weather patterns expected to hold steady, there is little chance of immediate relief, forecasters noted. 'The overall flow is still out of the west; it doesn't look like it is going to change much overall,' said Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center. 'It goes out through the week.' More than 730 forest fires are raging across Canada with at least 210 out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The smoke from the blazes, which have consumed 6.6 million hectares (16.3 million acres), have often drifted south in the US at various times this spring and summer, including casting a pall over the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago on Friday. In recent years, the massive smoke clouds drifting from Canadian fires have triggered a series of emergencies across the eastern US, and at one point turned Manhattan's skies an apocalyptic orange. The smoke has crossed the Atlantic at times, clouding European skies and dropping soot across the Arctic. Scientists are looking into whether the smoke is contributing to melting ice there and rising temperatures. Steady wind out of the northwest will keep the smoke drifting into the US for at least the coming week, Oravec said. The conditions that broke the hot, humid weather across the eastern US are also partially to blame for the spreading smoke, he said. Temperatures in New York's Central Park, for instance, dropped from the mid to high 90sF last week to just 80F Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Oravec said until the fires are extinguished, there will likely be continued rounds of smoke and ash drifting south. More stories like this are available on
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Map Shows Flash Flood Threat Affecting Millions on Friday
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have warned that millions of people across three states are at risk for heavy rain that could lead to flash floods on Friday. Why It Matters On Thursday, torrential rain pummeled the Northeast, prompting the governors of New York and New Jersey to declare states of emergency as flash floods overwhelmed busy roads at peak travel time. Now, although much of the U.S. is expecting some sort of rainfall on Friday, the heaviest downpours are shifting south. What To Know On Thursday night, the NWS posted a map on Facebook showing the main weather threats, which included flash floods, facing the U.S. on Friday. "Scattered thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected to bring the potential for flooding across the Carolinas, Southern Plains, and the front-range of the Rockies on Friday," the post said. "Fire weather concerns will persist in the northwestern Great Basin on Friday due to isolated dry thunderstorms. Air quality will continue to be impacted through Saturday in the Midwest due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires." A map from the National Weather Service shows the most likely areas for flash flooding on Friday are in Texas and the Carolinas. A map from the National Weather Service shows the most likely areas for flash flooding on Friday are in Texas and the Carolinas. National Weather Service According to the map, all of South Carolina, much of North Carolina and east-central Texas had the highest risk of seeing rainfall heavy enough to cause flash floods. Meanwhile, rain and thunderstorms are expected across the Pacific Northwest, central U.S., South and Northeast. Despite the forecast, the only flash flood warning in place on Friday morning around 10:30 a.m. Eastern time was for the Tulsa, Oklahoma, forecast region. Bob Oravec, the lead forecaster at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, told Newsweek that heavy rain could begin in the Carolinas in the early afternoon, with thunderstorms peaking between 6 to 8 p.m. In Texas, the storms are expected to begin later in the night and peak around 3 or 4 a.m. Saturday. "The risk has definitely pressed southward from where it was yesterday," Oravec said. "Right now, there's really not much on the radar, but as the afternoon goes on there's a frontal boundary that's lying across central southern North Carolina into northern South Carolina that will be the focusing mechanism for the thunderstorms this afternoon." What People Are Saying A National Weather Service forecast issued on Friday said: "A front extending from the southern Mid-Atlantic southwestward to the Southern Plains will move southward to northern Florida westward across the Gulf Coast and then northwestward across Texas to the Southern High Plains by Sunday. "The front will trigger showers and thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, over parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic. ... The associated heavy rain will primarily create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas being the most vulnerable." The forecast continued: "Additionally, showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain will develop along and near the boundary over parts of the Southern Plains and Southern High Plains. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over two areas of the Southern Plains and Southern High Plains through Saturday morning. The associated heavy rain will primarily create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas being the most vulnerable." What Happens Next Rain is expected to continue across the U.S. throughout the weekend. Residents in the high-risk areas should monitor local weather guidance as the storms arrive.
Scientific American
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Scientific American
‘Corn Sweat' Is Making This Heat Wave Even Worse
Heat and humidity will once again smother the eastern half of the country this week, pushing the heat index to dangerous levels for tens of millions of people. In the Midwest, the humidity will be boosted by a phenomenon called 'corn sweat.' It's midsummer, so heat and humidity are pretty standard in the wetter eastern half of the country. It's unlikely this heat wave will break records, but it could still be dangerous, says Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Md. On Monday the heat and humidity are centered over the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast. By midweek it will move northward along the Mississippi Valley and up into the Midwest before shifting toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast toward the end of the week. Highs are expected to be around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit as the heat wave moves along, but the humidity means it could feel closer to 110 degrees F in the worst-affected areas. Large swaths of the eastern U.S. will be in the 'major' Heat Risk category, a NWS classification that incorporates heat, humidity and data on when heat-related hospitalizations tend to rise in a given area. Pockets will be in the 'extreme' category, the highest on the four-category scale. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Part of the reason for the oppressive humidity is that 'the weather pattern has been favorable for wet weather,' Oravec says. 'Everything is wet, saturated,' which means there is more evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants. This is particularly true in the Midwest, where huge fields of corn, soybeans and other crops release moisture as the temperature climbs. The process is akin to how humans perspire in the heat, hence the nickname 'corn sweat.' 'The Midwest is famous for high dewpoints from the vegetation,' Oravec says. Plants aside, the phenomenon has serious implications for humans. High humidity and heat raise the risks for heat illness —it is harder for the body to cool itself via sweating because the air is already so full of moisture that perspiration doesn't evaporate. Those concerns are especially high for at-risk groups such as young children, older adults, those who have various health conditions or take certain medications, people who work outdoors and the unhoused. Prolonged exposure to such conditions can result in heat exhaustion, which can cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea and a cessation of sweating. If a person with this condition doesn't get to a cooler location or receive treatment quickly, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, which causes the body to lose its ability to cool itself, an extremely dangerous situation. In fact, it can be fatal. Experts caution people to stay hydrated and avoid strenuous outdoor activity, especially in the middle of the day when temperatures are highest. There are also tips for keeping your home cool. These concerns will linger both in the short and long term. In the long term, heat waves are becoming hotter and happening more frequently than in the past because of the added heat trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of humans' burning fossil fuels. An analysis by the nonprofit Climate Central found that this human-caused climate change made this extreme heat event at least three times more likely for nearly 160 million people, almost half of the U.S. population. In the short term, weather models show humid heat over the eastern U.S. for the next week or two. 'The weather pattern is just kind of stagnant and is stuck,' Oravec says. 'It looks like it's going to be a hot few weeks.'
National Observer
26-06-2025
- Climate
- National Observer
One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge
A record-smashing heat wave broiled the US East for another day Wednesday, even as thermometers were forecast to soon plunge by as many as 30 degrees in the same areas. The day's heat wasn't expected to be as intense as Tuesday, when at least 50 heat records were matched or broken and 21 places hit triple-digit temperatures. About 127 million Americans remained under National Weather Service heat advisories, down from the previous day. Sizzling temperatures sent utilities scrambling to keep the air conditioning and lights on amid massive demand for power. 'It's still going to be, I think, pretty bad across the East,'' meteorologist Bob Oravec of the Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday morning. 'I think today is probably the last day of widespread record potential. It might not be quite as hot as yesterday by a few degrees. But still, high temperatures are expected in the upper 90s across a good section of the East." The weather service warned of 'extreme heat" for a stretch of the country from North Carolina to New York and west to West Virginia. Highs could approach triple digits from New York to Richmond, Oravec said. Temperatures again broke 100 on Wednesday at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and in Newark and Baltimore. Temperatures Wednesday morning were 'a little bit warmer than expected' because of northwesterly winds bringing 'warm leftovers from yesterday,' said former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist. Nantucket, Massachusetts, was above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) when its forecast high was 82. Weather whiplash The high pressure heat dome that has baked the East was forecast to break. A cold front began moving south from New England, bringing with it clouds and cooler temperatures — not only cooler than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), but cooler than normal. That air mass drawing on cool ocean waters will send temperatures plummeting by the end of the week in Philadelphia, which hit a record high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, said Ray Martin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Air temperatures will be in the low 70s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius). 'It's going to feel like a shock to the system, but it's not anything particularly unusual,' said Martin. Boston's forecast high for Friday is 34 degrees lower than what it hit Tuesday. 'It's going to feel like a different season," Oravec said. However, it won't last. After one or two days, slightly hotter than normal temperatures are forecast, but not anywhere near the highs from earlier this week, Oravec said. Weather whiplash from one extreme to another occurs more often as the world warms overall from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, scientists said. Records smashed Tuesday was likely the peak of the heat, with Baltimore the king of swelter. The city's high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) smashed a previous record by four degrees. At night, when the human body needs cooling, temperatures only dropped to 87 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius). Baltimore was hardly alone. A dozen weather stations were 101 degrees or higher, including two New York airports. Boston hit 102, breaking its old record by seven degrees. Augusta, Maine's 100-degrees also broke its old record by seven degrees. Every coastal state from Maine to South Carolina hit 100 degrees somewhere, with Georgia and Florida clocking in at 99 on Tuesday. As temperatures rise 'things become less reliable and more unstable,' said Climate Central Chief Meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky. The heat meant more demand for power. The nation's largest power grid operator, PJM Interconnection, on Monday recorded its highest demand since 2011, with only a slight drop off Tuesday and Wednesday, spokesman Dan Lockwood said. 'We have an aging grid infrastructure already in United States, so you can see the impacts of that heat on that infrastructure," said Kate Guy, senior research fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. The aging system is less capable of transmitting power at the voltages needed, she said. 'At the same time, you're seeing a really big spike in demand. This is what they (utilities) are increasingly experiencing because of climate change," Guy said. "Frankly, with each year is increased, historic temperatures and that intense heat arriving earlier than ever, just putting an immense pressure on the electrical grid.' Extreme heat caused the road to buckle in two locations on an interstate highway in northern New Jersey. State transportation officials say the impact on the concrete roadway in Morris County on Tuesday afternoon forced some lane closures as temporary repairs were made. Crews then began work to replace the damaged areas and repave those sections. Some downtown Chicago streets will close Wednesday night to repair pavement that has buckled due to hot temperatures amid an ongoing heat wave in the city. 'Pavement failures or blowouts occur when prolonged high temperatures cause the road to expand and buckle up or blow out, resulting in uneven driving surfaces,' the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a statement. In Chesapeake, Virginia, a heat-related malfunction prompted a bridge to remain stuck in the open position. Isabella O'Malley in Philadelphia; Alexa St. John in Detroit; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey; and Christine Fernando contributed to this report.
