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Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Climate
- Indianapolis Star
Tropical Storm Keli to weaken to a tropical depression: See tracker
Hurricane Iona is not the only named storm spinning in the central Pacific hurricane basin – Tropical Storm Keli is also active, although both storms are harmlessly far from land. "The central Pacific Ocean is in the midst of an unusual tropical cyclone 'outbreak,' recording two concurrent named storms for the first time since 2015 and its first major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane since Dora in August 2023," said WPLG-TV hurricane expert Michael Lowry in an e-mail on July 29. In an advisory issued at 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 29, the National Hurricane Center said Keli was located about 605 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts. Forecasters said Keli is expected to weaken to a tropical depression by late Wednesday and dissipate by Thursday while moving quickly westward during the next day or so. While eastern Pacific tropical storms and hurricanes can affect the west coast of Mexico and their remnants occasionally affect the Southwest U.S. with drenching rain, central Pacific storms usually miss all land areas, though they can sometimes affect Hawaii. This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time. Hurricanes are born in the tropics, above warm water. Clusters of thunderstorms can develop over the ocean when water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm once its sustained wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour. When its winds reach 74 mph, the storm officially becomes a hurricane. Delaying potentially life-saving preparations could mean waiting until it's too late. "Get your disaster supplies while the shelves are still stocked, and get that insurance checkup early, as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period," NOAA recommends. Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
USA Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
A surprising 'outbreak' of tropical cyclones prowl the Pacific. What now?
The typically unremarkable Central Pacific Hurricane Basin has seen a surprising uptick in storms in late July. Both major Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli spin harmlessly far from land. The typically unremarkable central Pacific hurricane basin has seen a surprising uptick in storms in late July as both major Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli spin harmlessly far from land. "The central Pacific Ocean is in the midst of an unusual tropical cyclone 'outbreak,' recording two concurrent named storms for the first time since 2015 and its first major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane since Dora in August 2023," said WPLG-TV hurricane expert Michael Lowry in an e-mail on July 29. Fortunately, "there is currently no immediate threat to the Hawaiian Islands from these systems," the National Weather Service in Honolulu said on July 29. While the twin storms in the central Pacific is "unusual," it's still a far cry from the all-time records set in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins: According to the National Hurricane Center, there have been as many as five active Atlantic tropical cyclones at once, which occurred Sept. 10-12, 1971. In the eastern Pacific, on Aug. 26, 1974, there were five simultaneous named storms of at least tropical storm strength, Phil Klotzbach, a tropical scientist at Colorado State University, told What does the activity in the Pacific mean for the US? While eastern Pacific tropical storms and hurricanes can affect the west coast of Mexico and their remnants occasionally affect the Southwest U.S. with drenching rain, central Pacific storms usually miss all land areas, though they can sometimes affect Hawaii. Tropical cyclones in the Pacific and Atlantic, while similar storms, have slightly different "seasons," with the eastern Pacific season starting two weeks earlier. Additionally, the large-scale climate factors that go into a given season's level of activity are different: For example, if forecasters predict an active Atlantic season due to La Niña, the opposite prediction is usually made for the eastern Pacific, which tends to be more active during El Niño years. As well, individual storms in each basin seldom interact directly since Central America acts as a barrier between the two basins. And while some storms can cross over between basins, usually their low-level circulation dissipates before making a complete crossover, the hurricane center said. Furthermore, hurricanes very rarely cross over from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic basin, AccuWeather reports: most of the hurricanes that have crossed over, records show, have taken a path from the Atlantic basin to the Pacific basin. Furthermore, both the central and eastern Pacific basins are separate from the Atlantic basin, which is the basin that we're most familiar with. All the basins have separate lists of names. Iona a major hurricane The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in a July 29 advisory that Hurricane Iona had strengthened into a major hurricane several hundred miles south of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 115 mph with higher gusts, making Iona a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Iona was moving toward the west and this motion is expected to continue with a gradual increase in forward speed during the next couple of days, according to hurricane center forecasters, who expect the storm to begin weakening by July 30. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Keli had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts and was forecast to continue moving westward. The hurricane center says "little change in strength" is forecast. The weather service said July 29, "although the tropical cyclones are forecast to pass several hundred miles south of Hawaii over the next couple of days, isolated thunderstorms along the northern periphery of these systems may effect the far southern portion of the offshore waters. And while some short-period southeast swells may reach southern shores of Hawaii, a much larger and unrelated south swell will dominate." Where is the central Pacific hurricane basin? The central Pacific basin encompasses all storms and hurricanes that form between 140° West Longitude and the International Date Line. It's distinct from the more familiar eastern Pacific basin, with the dividing line being an invisible line in midst of the ocean (140°W). Additionally, the National Hurricane Center handles naming for storms in the eastern Pacific, while the Central Pacific Hurricane Center handles naming for storms in the central Pacific. More: Hurricane Iona has strengthened into a Category 3 storm: See path Central Pacific basin is usually rather quiet The central Pacific basin can see a wide range of activity depending on the year, according to Lowry. Generally, he said the basin observes its most active hurricane seasons during El Niño years like 2015, 2009, and 1997 when it recorded 16, 7, and 9 tropical cyclones respectively. On average, the central Pacific sees only 4 to 5 tropical cyclones (tropical depression, storms, or hurricanes) each season and around three named storms (tropical storm or hurricanes), Lowry said. NOAA predicted a less active central Pacific hurricane season in 2025, with a range of 1-4 tropical cyclones across the basin.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
2025 has become 'the year of the flood.' Why is it raining so much?
If you think this summer has been wetter and rainier than usual, you're right. Daily tropical downpours, deadly flash floods and crushing humidity: If you think summer 2025 has been wetter and rainier than usual, you're right. "2025 has been the year of the flood," said WPLG-TV meteorologist Michael Lowry in a July 15 email to USA TODAY. "The tragic July 4th flooding in central Texas – the deadliest flash flood in at least 50 years in the U.S. – punctuated what's been an especially bad year for flooding across the country." In fact, "so far in 2025, National Weather Service offices have issued more flood warnings than any other year on record dating back to 1986," Lowry said. In addition to the catastrophic flooding in Texas, life-threatening flooding and record rainfall has been reported in New Mexico, North Carolina and other East Coast states this month. Why is this? What's going on? It's the humidity "In general, atmospheric moisture in the areas that have seen the most flooding this year has been historically high," Lowry told USA TODAY. "We can look at dew point temperature as a gauge for how soupy it's been," he said. "The dew point temperature has been much higher than average across parts of Texas and over nearly the entire eastern third of the U.S." So why has it been so humid? The main reason is due to the unusually warm waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf this season. "The subtropical waters around the U.S., and especially off the Eastern Seaboard, have warmed considerably, and the stronger flow out of the south and east around the Bermuda High has swept all of that muggy air from offshore much farther inland," Lowry said. Indeed, the Bermuda/Azores high has been abnormally strong so far this year, and clockwise flow around that area of high pressure pulls moisture from the ocean and Gulf directly into the United States. "So the bottom line is higher humidity levels from warmer waters around the U.S. have contributed to the record flooding we've seen so far this year," Lowry said. Wet spring also set the stage In addition, AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok told USA TODAY that the wet spring in the East also set the stage for the soggy summer that's followed. He said the sodden ground from heavy rain in April and May has contributed to the flooding we've been seeing in summer. Furthermore, Pastelok said there's been a lack of potent cold fronts sweeping down from Canada, which act to reduce humidity levels. He did say that a cold front in mid-July, the first one in quite a while, will at least temporarily help ease the crushing humidity in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast later this week. DC deluges One city that's seen a high number of flash floods this summer is Washington, D.C., which has seen an unusual number of weather alerts related to rain and flooding this year. In a typical year, the weather service office in the DC-Baltimore area issues one or two moderate risk rainfall outlooks. This July alone, there have already been three: July 1, 9 and 14, CNN reported. "In the past month, there have only been seven days when the DC-Baltimore area wasn't under any excessive rainfall threat," CNN said. What about climate change? Climate change can affect the intensity and frequency of precipitation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which said that "warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates into the air. When more moisture-laden air moves over land or converges into a storm system, it can produce more intense precipitation — for example, heavier rain and snow storms." Hourly rainfall rates have grown heavier in nearly 90% of large US cities since 1970, according to a recent study from the nonprofit research group Climate Central. (This story has been updated to correct a misspelling/typo.)
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Yahoo
Lightweight boxing champion Davis arrested: reports
Unbeaten world lightweight boxing champion Gervonta Davis was arrested Friday on battery and domestic violence charges from a June incident, according to multiple reports. The 30-year-old American allegedly assaulted his former girlfriend on June 15, Father's Day, outside her home in Doral, according to WPLG-TV, the Miami Herald and TMZ. Advertisement Davis, who lives in Coral Springs, was taken into custody in Miami Beach, according to an arrest report cited by media. Police said Davis and the woman were in a relationship for about four years and had two children and that the incident took place when Davis went to the woman's home to pick up the children. A verbal dispute began and led to a physical altercation, police said, when Davis demanded she retrieve the children from his car then struck the woman in the back of the head and slapped her in the face, cutting her lip. The police report said the woman called her mother, who came out of the house to the scene and filmed part of the incident, in which Davis tossed a small box at the victim. Advertisement Davis, a southpaw fighter, has a ring record of 30-0 with one draw and 28 knockouts. His most recent bout was a controversial majority draw against compatriot Lamont Roach in New York last March in which Davis kept the World Boxing Association lightweight crown. js/nr
