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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe weather, flash flood threat impact eastern half of US
Around 11 million Americans are under flood alerts Saturday evening as a "ring of fire" weather pattern continues to impact the eastern two-thirds of the country through the weekend. High pressure centered over the Southeast will keep dangerously hot and humid conditions in that region, but strong to severe storms along the perimeter of the high will remain possible across portions of the Plains, Midwest and even across portions of the East Coast. Severe thunderstorm watches remain in effect for portions of southern Maryland, northeastern North Carolina and Virginia until 10 p.m. ET Saturday. The primary threats include damaging winds, with gusts up to 65 mph possible, and isolated large hail up to an inch in diameter. To the west, portions of Nebraska remain under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. CT Saturday. A severe thunderstorm watch is also in effect for portions of eastern Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and far northeastern Wyoming until 12 a.m. MT. Damaging winds, with gusts up to 70 mph are possible, along with the potential for very large hail measuring as much as 2.5 inches in diameter. Over 13 million across 13 states are under a slight risk -- level 2 of 5 -- for severe weather through the night. Damaging winds and the potential for flash flooding remains a threat for all areas, but powerful storms that develop over parts of the Plains and Midwest could generate large to very large hail and even a few tornadoes. While parts of the Dakotas are under a slight risk for severe weather on Sunday, parts of Northeast could also encounter strong to severe storms as well. This includes big cities like New York City, Boston and Albany -- which are all under a slight risk, mainly for damaging winds and the potential for hail. Along with the potential for severe weather, locally heavy downpours associated with showers and thunderstorms will continue to raise concerns in regard to flash flooding. Plenty of atmospheric moisture and already saturated grounds will only increase the likelihood of flooding and will exacerbate flooding that is ongoing. Flood watches remain in effect across portions of Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri through Sunday, and for portions of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina through Saturday night. A flood watch was also issued for Washington, D.C., until 10 p.m. ET. Areas under a flood watch could see between 2 to 4 inches of rain. A number of Flash Flood Warnings are also in effect across portions of southern Illinois, southern Indiana and northern Kentucky, where heavy rain from thunderstorms moved through. Much of the heavy rainfall and flooding will be localized -- not everywhere will be impacted. However, the potential for heavy rainfall stretches across a good portion of the eastern U.S., which remains under a slight risk for excessive rainfall through tonight. Between 1 to 3 inches are possible depending on where storms track, but locally higher amounts are possible in some spots. Portions of western and central Kentucky, southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois have been elevated to a moderate risk -- level 3 of 4 -- for excessive rainfall through Saturday evening. Rainfall totals between 3 to 5 inches are possible, with rainfall rates potentially reaching 2 to 3 inches per hour.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Met Office issues new yellow weather warning of thunderstorm with chance of flooding
The Met Office has issued a new yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in the North West of England. A yellow warning is already in place across most of England today (July 19) with heavy rain forecast in Greater Manchester this afternoon. A new alert has now been issued across the region for Monday (July 21) with warnings of a 'small chance' of flooding. According to the Met Office, spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. READ MORE: Headteacher issues letter explaining why skirts are being banned READ MORE: Oasis fans unable to 'tap-out' at Heaton Park shocked after checking bank balance As a result of the heavy rain and thunderstorms, there is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads. There is also a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater or lightning strikes, Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services, the Met Office says. There is also a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost. There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, the Met Office has said. The new yellow warning comes into effect on Monday (July 21) at 11am and will stay in place until 9pm that night. Issuing the warning this morning (July 19), the Met Office said: "Scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected during Monday, especially during the afternoon and early evening. "While many will miss the worst conditions, a few places could see 30-50 mm of rain within a couple of hours. "Heavy downpours of rain will be the primary hazard but lightning strikes are also likely along with the potential for hail." The Met Office has instructed members of the public to consider if their location is at risk of flash flooding and, if so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. They added: "Prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Before gusty winds arrive, check to ensure moveable objects or temporary structures are well secured. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, gazebos, sheds, and fences. "Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It's easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. "If you find yourself outside and hear thunder, protect yourself by finding a safe enclosed shelter (such as a car). "Do not shelter under or near trees, or other structures which may be struck by lightning. If you are on an elevated area move to lower ground. "Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area." The weather warning is in place across parts of Scotland, much of England and some of Wales. There are currently no flood alerts in place across Greater Manchester.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
New Zealand First's Cash Transactions Protection Bill - What it is and what it could do
A bill put forth by New Zealand First would require stores to take cash for purchases up to $500. Photo: 123rf Explainer - Cash is king, some people say - while others wouldn't be caught dead without their PayWave and Apple Pay. But a new members' bill put forward by New Zealand First would protect cash as a key option in transactions, requiring stores to take it for purchases up to $500. If drawn from the ballot and passed, NZ First leader Winston Peters said it would "provide for the enduring use of cash as a private, accessible, and reliable method of payment". The party cited rural communities, the elderly and low-income earners as being disproportionately affected by businesses that don't accept cash. As a members' bill, lodged 14 July in the name of NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle, it's still a long while from possibly becoming law, but it does propose sweeping changes in how businesses treat cash and looks at who gets left out in a digital economy. Here's what you need to know. The Cash Transactions Protection Bill would mandate businesses in trade accept cash payment for goods valued up to $500. "The bill ensures that New Zealanders maintain freedom of choice in how they pay, preserving cash as what it should be: an enduring private and reliable option", Peters said in introducing it. "By protecting the sanctity of cash transactions, the bill upholds personal privacy, maintains sovereign control over New Zealand's monetary system, and lessens the risks posed by digital-only payment systems." There are some exceptions given to the bill's requirements, including online retailers and land purchases. The bill also would propose that "payment in cash must be accepted for essential goods or services" - which it defines as food, water, fuel, health care and household utilities. Another part of the bill would require businesses to keep cash on hand for emergencies: "A vendor must ensure they have sufficient access to cash to allow them to continue to trade in the event of a digital or electrical outage that lasts longer than 24 hours." In the introduction, the bill says it "preserves cash as an explicit privacy-preserving payment method, ensuring both freedom of choice and freedom from unwarranted surveillance in financial transactions". "It puts New Zealanders' interests above global trends toward digital currencies, maintaining sovereign control over New Zealand's monetary policy and mitigating the risks associated with digital-only financial systems, like restricted access to funds." The bill also calls for fees or fines from $1000 to a maximum of $5000 for infringements. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii It's quite a long way from that, actually. As a members' bill, it's not yet guaranteed it will ever go to the House for a vote. The bill first will have to be randomly drawn from the ballot to be considered at all in the House, and then undergo the same process of debate and referral to select committees as any other bill. While it's on the members ballot, MPs are allowed only one bill in the lottery at any given time. NZ First has swapped out its bills on several occasions this term, so there's also no guarantees over how long this legislation will remain in the ballot. Speaking to Checkpoint recently, Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young said she wondered if the bill was "kind of a sledgehammer for a small problem". Marisa Bidois, chief executive of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, said the bill ignored realities many businesses deal with. "We understand the intent behind the proposed bill - no one wants to see people excluded from accessing essential goods and services. However, requiring all businesses to accept cash for transactions under $500 doesn't reflect the operational realities many businesses face. "We believe businesses should be trusted to make the right decisions for how they operate and serve their customers." Members' bills are often used to float an idea or gauge public reaction to it, Parliament's website notes . Yes, as long as they "clearly inform customers in advance that they don't accept cash before you start shopping or receive services from them", the Reserve Bank of New Zealand said . They can do that with a sign on the premises or telling you in person before you pay. "Most hospitality businesses still accept cash, but a small and growing number are moving away from it, particularly in busy urban areas," Bidois said. "Some customers do push back when cash isn't accepted, especially if they haven't been informed ahead of time. That's why we encourage clear communication." You're also only allowed to pay so much of a bill in coins, by the way, in case you're thinking of clearing out that piggy bank - you're allowed up to $5 of 10 or 20 cent coins, $10 of 50 cent coins or $100 worth of $1 and $2 coins. Shoppers are increasingly using cards over cash. Photo: 123rf According to the Reserve Bank's latest data released in June, 45.8 percent of the population are still using cash sometimes in "paying for everyday things" - although 79.1 percent are using debit cards/EFTPOS also. Only 3.6 percent of people say they "never use cash," while 33.2 percent said they hadn't used cash at all in the past seven days. Cash isn't quite the king it once was. "We know that less than 10 percent of transactions that happen across New Zealand throughout the year now happen in cash," Retail NZ's Young said. "In the cities a lot less cash is used and in rural areas and areas of deprivation there is a higher percentage of cash that is used." Bidois said in the Restaurant Association's latest survey, 40 percent of respondents said cash made up just 5 to 10 percent of their transactions. Still, when it comes to essentials, "there's no supermarket that doesn't take cash," Young said. On Peters' Facebook page, the post announcing the bill has gathered nearly 3000 comments and 15,000 likes, with many expressing support for the idea. "Thank you! I use cash as a way to keep within my budget, as my mother did," one wrote, while another said it was "an essential bill - especially for many of our elderly population". Photo: RNZ / Leonard Powell On the other hand, Young said that electronic transactions are often easier for businesses to deal with. "Electronic transactions are much safer for a wide number of reasons," she said, including less chance of being targeted by thieves or counterfeit money, and less time for staff dealing with transactions. "For many retailers and for hospitalities, cafes and things, cash is not always their favoured method of payment because of those challenges." However, frequently complained-about surcharges such as those for PayWave are "not ideal", she said. Many also have concerns about the privacy and security issues around digital payments and the records they leave behind. Cash also comes back to the table during disasters, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, which saw infrastructure knocked out widely. "We do know that when the cyclones happened in Auckland and Gisborne and Hawke's Bay 18 months ago that the supermarkets were really critical for being able to, especially in those provincial areas … they really provided the cash that people needed to be able to pay for goods and services," Young said. Bidois said that while there was a clear shift toward digital payments, it was all about striking the right balance for businesses. "Many businesses are finding that tap-and-go is what most customers expect, and it makes day-to-day operations simpler. "That said, our members care about customer experience, and most continue to accept cash to accommodate older New Zealanders, tourists, or regulars who prefer it." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Fire crews volunteer to save northern Saskatchewan as wildfires continue
Firefighters from across Saskatchewan are flocking to northern communities to help defend homes and lives as the province tries to bring wildfires under control.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Met Office issues UK weather warning for thunderstorms and flash floods
Intense thundery downpours are set to bring a risk of flash flooding to parts of the UK Friday night and into Saturday. The hardest hit communities could see well over a month's worth of rain falling in the space of a few hours leading to a significant risk of disruption. Yellow thunderstorm warnings have been issued by the Met Office with torrential rain bringing around 20-30mm (about an inch) in an hour but as much as 60-90mm of rain in a few hours. This is well over a month's worth of rain falling in a few hours for the biggest storms. Soils have been baked dry especially across England and east Wales after three successive summer heatwaves. Heavy rains cannot easily be absorbed by dry soils, external with water tending to run off rapidly bringing a greater chance of seeing some areas of flash flooding. Which areas to be affected most by rain? An area of low pressure is set to develop in France as cool air high in the atmosphere pushes over very warm and moist air near the surface. This combination makes the atmosphere unstable with air rising upwards to form thunderstorms. These storms will initially develop in France before heading northwards across the UK. The heaviest rain is likely to affect central southern England, south-east England and the Midlands on Friday night before moving to northern England and Scotland by Saturday. This area of rain could become slow-moving across northern Scotland during Sunday, with a threat of some flash flooding. Low pressure looks set to take hold of the weather across the UK on Sunday and Monday with further widespread showers and thunderstorms likely. Thunderstorms always bring large variations in rainfall amounts from one place to the next, but some again could bring heavy downpours with a few areas of flooding. Will this heavy rain affect the hosepipe bans? Hosepipe bans have been announced over recent weeks affecting millions of people as drought is declared across more areas of the UK, external. According to Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director for Water and National Drought Group chair: "This has been the driest start to the year since 1976."Because the rain will be very heavy in places, it will runoff rapidly, perhaps overwhelming local sewers, before heading to the rivers and out to sea. At this time of year, any rainwater that does make it into the ground will just be taken up by growing plants and trees, so won't affect groundwater levels much. To see a substantial recovery in reservoir and groundwater aquifer levels we'd need a more sustained spell of much wetter weather, this is typically what we see during our autumn or winter, so the hosepipe bans will likely last for the rest of summer and probably into the first part of autumn too.
