Latest news with #USWeatherPredictionCenter
Mint
7 days ago
- 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
Straits Times
27-07-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
More than 132 million face wilting heat across eastern US
WASHINGTON – More than 132 million people across the central and eastern US are facing blistering temperatures to start the week, with rising humidity making it feel even worse and putting a strain on the energy grid as air conditioners and fans get a workout. Heat advisories or excessive-heat warnings have been issued from Nebraska to Massachusetts and from North Dakota to Florida, covering all or part of 29 states and more than 38 per cent of the US population, according to the National Weather Service. Sweltering conditions will peak on July 27 and 28 before gradually easing. The US Southeast will be the last to get some relief, later in the week or next. The high temperatures, made worse by humidity, have set a smattering of records, particularly in the Southeast. Charlotte, North Carolina, hit a high of 101 deg F (38 deg C) on July 26. Sixty more records may be breached or tied in coming days. In Chicago the combination of temperatures reaching 91 deg F and humidity will make it feel more like 102 deg F on July 28. New York City is set to have readings peak on July 29 at 96 deg F in Central Park, but with humidity may feel closer to 105 deg F, the weather service said. In Washington, DC, the high is forecast to reach 98 deg F on July 29 and 99 deg F on July 30. 'It's miserable but the end is near,' said Mr Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. 'A couple of days to go, maybe more than a couple of days if you are in the Southeast.' Heat threatens human life, as well as stressing electric grids and transportation networks. From 1979 to 2022 more than 14,000 Americans died from heat-related causes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Utilities are gearing up for continued high demand. PJM Interconnection LLC, a grid operator that moves electricity across 13 states and the District of Columbia, issued hot weather alerts for its Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions on July 27 and for its entire operating area on July 28. It also called on power plants to be ready for service and that it may curtail exports to neighboring grids if demand rises. A wide area of the US faces a moderate heat risk on July 27, with as many as 88.4 million people under a major threat and 10.8 million enduring extreme conditions, mainly along the eastern seaboard from Washington to Florida, the weather service said. The heat will start to ease as a weather front pushes south, leaving lower temperatures and milder humidity in its wake, Mr Hurley said. In a week, a large part of the central and eastern US will likely be cooler than normal for early August, according to the US Climate Prediction Centre. In addition to the heat, ground-level ozone parts of New York and New Jersey may make breathing difficult for the young, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions, the weather service said. Further north, across Upstate New York and New England, smoke from Canadian forest fires is also harming air quality. Much of that threat should start to diminish in the coming days, Mr Hurley said. Bloomberg
Business Times
27-07-2025
- Climate
- Business Times
More than 132 million face wilting heat across eastern US
[BOSTON] More than 132 million people across the central and eastern US are facing blistering temperatures to start the week, with rising humidity making it feel even worse and putting a strain on the energy grid as air conditioners and fans get a workout. Heat advisories or excessive-heat warnings have been issued from Nebraska to Massachusetts and from North Dakota to Florida, covering all or part of 29 states and more than 38 per cent of the US population, according to the National Weather Service. Sweltering conditions will peak on Sunday (Jul 27) and Monday before gradually easing. The US South-east will be the last to get some relief, later in the week or next. The high temperatures, made worse by humidity, have set a smattering of records, particularly in the Southeast. Charlotte, North Carolina, hit a high of 101F (38 deg C) on Saturday. Sixty more records may be breached or tied in the coming days. In Chicago, the combination of temperatures reaching 91F and humidity will make it feel more like 102F on Monday. New York City is set to have readings peak on Tuesday at 96F in Central Park, but with humidity may feel closer to 105F, the weather service said. In Washington, DC, the high is forecast to reach 98F on Tuesday and 99F on Wednesday. 'It's miserable but the end is near,' said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. 'A couple of days to go, maybe more than a couple of days if you are in the Southeast.' Heat threatens human life, as well as stressing electric grids and transportation networks. From 1979 to 2022, more than 14,000 Americans died from heat-related causes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up Utilities are gearing up for continued high demand. PJM Interconnection, a grid operator that moves electricity across 13 states and the District of Columbia, issued hot weather alerts for its Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions on Sunday and for its entire operating area on Monday. It also called on power plants to be ready for service and that it may curtail exports to neighbouring grids if demand rises. A wide area of the US faces a moderate heat risk on Sunday, with as many as 88.4 million people under a major threat and 10.8 million enduring extreme conditions, mainly along the eastern seaboard from Washington to Florida, the weather service said. The heat will start to ease as a weather front pushes south, leaving lower temperatures and milder humidity in its wake, Hurley said. In a week, a large part of the central and eastern US will likely be cooler than normal for early August, according to the US Climate Prediction Center. In addition to the heat, ground-level ozone parts of New York and New Jersey may make breathing difficult for the young, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions, the weather service said. Further north, across Upstate New York and New England, smoke from Canadian forest fires is also harming air quality. Much of that threat should start to diminish in the coming days, Hurley said. BLOOMBERG
Mint
27-07-2025
- Climate
- Mint
More Than 132 Million Face Wilting Heat Across Eastern US
(Bloomberg) -- More than 132 million people across the central and eastern US are facing blistering temperatures to start the week, with rising humidity making it feel even worse and putting a strain on the energy grid as air conditioners and fans get a workout. Heat advisories or excessive-heat warnings have been issued from Nebraska to Massachusetts and from North Dakota to Florida, covering all or part of 29 states and more than 38% of the US population, according to the National Weather Service. Sweltering conditions will peak today and Monday before gradually easing. The US Southeast will be the last to get some relief, later in the week or next. 'It's miserable but the end is near,' said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. 'A couple of days to go, maybe more than a couple of days if you are in the Southeast.' Heat threatens human life, as well as stressing electric grids and transportation networks. From 1979 to 2022 more than 14,000 Americans died from heat-related causes, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. A wide area of the US faces a moderate heat risk Sunday, with as many as 88.4 million people under a major threat and 10.8 million enduring extreme conditions, mainly along the eastern seaboard from Washington to Florida, the weather service said. The high temperatures, made worse by humidity, have set a smattering of records, particularly in the Southeast. Charlotte, North Carolina, hit a high of 101F (38C) Saturday. Sixty more records may be breached or tied in coming days. In New York City, temperatures will likely peak Tuesday at 94F but with humidity may feel closer to 105F, the weather service said. In Washington, readings are forecast to reach 98F Tuesday and 99F Wednesday. Utilities are gearing up for continued high demand. PJM Interconnection LLC, a grid operator that moves electricity across 13 states and the District of Columbia, issued hot weather alerts for its Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions Sunday and for its entire operating area on Monday. The heat will start to ease as a weather front pushes south, leaving lower temperatures and milder humidity in its wake, Hurley said. In a week, a large part of the central and eastern US will likely be cooler than normal for early August, according to the US Climate Prediction Center. In addition to the heat, ground-level ozone parts of New York and New Jersey may make breathing difficult for the young, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions, the weather service said. Further north, across Upstate New York and New England, smoke from Canadian forest fires is also harming air quality. Much of that threat should start to diminish in the coming days, Hurley said. More stories like this are available on
Bloomberg
25-07-2025
- Climate
- Bloomberg
Scorching Heat to Raise Power Demand in Central, Eastern US
Power prices are climbing in anticipation of a week-long heat wave expected to bring sweltering temperatures and high humidity to much of the central and eastern United States, taxing power and rail infrastructure. Though New York and Washington will see Friday's daytime temperatures near records at around 100F (38C), the most intense heat is expected to shift and settle in across the southeast early next week. Some areas — including Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis — could experience heat close to 115F (46C) due to humidity, with little relief overnight, said Rich Otto, a forecaster for the US Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.
