ScienceDaily: Storm News

Storm study reveals a sting in the tail

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Meteorologists have gained a better understanding of how storms like the one that battered Britain in 1987 develop, making them easier to predict.

New metric to measure destructive potential of hurricanes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Researchers have developed a new metric to measure seasonal Atlantic tropical cyclone activity that focuses on the size of storms in addition to the duration and intensity, a measure that may prove important when considering a hurricane’s potential for death and destruction. Just ask the survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

Scientists detect 'dark lightning' energy burst linked to visible lightning

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:03:03 EDT

Researchers have identified a burst of high-energy radiation known as 'dark lightning" immediately preceding a flash of ordinary lightning. The new finding provides observational evidence that the two phenomena are connected, although the exact nature of the relationship between ordinary bright lightning and the dark variety is still unclear, the scientists said.

Superstorm Sandy shook the U.S., literally

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:39:39 EDT

When superstorm Sandy turned and took aim at New York City and Long Island last October, ocean waves hitting each other and the shore rattled the seafloor and much of the United States – shaking detected by seismometers across the country, researchers found.

NASA and JAXA's GPM mission takes rain measurements global

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:40:40 EDT

As anyone who has ever been caught in a sudden and unexpected downpour knows, gaps still exist in our knowledge about the behavior and movement of precipitation, clouds and storms. An upcoming satellite mission from NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) aims to fill in those gaps both in coverage and in scientists' understanding of precipitation.

Dark lightning: Are airplane passengers exposed to radiation from intense bursts of gamma-rays from thunderclouds?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:27:27 EDT

Scientists have known for almost a decade that thunderstorms are capable of generating brief but powerful bursts of gamma-rays called terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, or TGFs. Because they can originate near the same altitudes at which commercial aircraft routinely fly, scientists have been trying to determine whether or not terrestrial gamma ray flashes present a radiation hazard to individuals in aircraft. In the middle of the storm, radiation doses could be roughly equal to a full-body CT scan, preliminary research suggests.

Snowflakes falling on cameras: What snow looks like in midair

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:20:20 EDT

University of Utah researchers developed a high-speed camera system that spent the past two winters photographing snowflakes in 3-D as they fell – and they don’t look much like those perfect-but-rare snowflakes often seen in photos.

Ten times more hurricane surges in future, new research predicts

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:15 EDT

How much worse will the frequency of extreme storm surges get as temperatures rise in the future? How many extreme storm surges like that from Hurricane Katrina, which hit the U.S. coast in 2005, will there be as a result of global warming? New research shows that there will be a tenfold increase in frequency if the climate becomes two degrees Celsius warmer.

When it rains these days, does it pour? Has the weather become stormier as the climate warms?

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:48:48 EDT

Scientists have shown that the signature of an increase in storminess could be extracted from precipitation data for the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The scientists suspect the same signature lies hidden under naturally stormier weather at other locations as well.

Changes in heart attack timing continue years after Hurricane Katrina

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:44:44 EST

The upheaval caused by Hurricane Katrina seems to have disrupted the usual timing of heart attacks, shifting peak frequency from weekday mornings to weekend nights, in a change in pattern that persisted a full five years after the storm, according to new research.

More storms like Sandy? Arctic ice loss amplified Superstorm Sandy violence

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:51:51 EST

Researchers have shown that the severe loss of summertime Arctic sea ice – attributed to greenhouse warming – appears to increase the frequency of atmospheric blocking events like the one that steered Hurricane Sandy into the US Northeast.

Saharan and Asian dust, biological particles end global journey in California

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:33:33 EST

A new study is the first to show that dust and other aerosols from one side of the world influence rainfall in the Sierra Nevada.

Living through a tornado does not shake optimism

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:30:30 EST

Even in the face of a disaster, we remain optimistic about our chances of injury compared to others, according to a new study. Residents of a town struck by a tornado thought their risk of injury from a future tornado was lower than that of peers, both a month and a year after the destructive twister. Such optimism could undermine efforts toward emergency preparedness.

NOAA and NASA's next generation weather satellite may provide earlier warnings

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:15:15 EST

A new satellite that will detect the lightning inside storm clouds may lead to valuable improvements in tornado detection. The GOES-R satellite is currently being built with new technology that may help provide earlier warnings for severe weather.

Lake-effect snow sometimes needs mountains

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:05:05 EST

Researchers ran computer simulations to show that the snow-producing “lake effect” isn’t always enough to cause heavy snowfall, but that mountains or other surrounding topography sometimes are necessary too.

NASA scientists build first-ever wide-field X-ray imager

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:17:17 EST

Three NASA scientists teamed up to develop and demonstrate NASA's first wide-field-of-view soft X-ray camera for studying "charge exchange," a poorly understood phenomenon that occurs when the solar wind collides with Earth's exosphere and neutral gas in interplanetary space.

Smartphones, tablets help researchers improve storm forecasts

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:15:15 EST

Atmospheric scientists are using pressure readings from some new smartphones and tablet computers to improve short-term thunderstorm forecasts. A weather station in every pocket would offer an unprecedented wealth of data.

Cyclone did not cause 2012 record low for Arctic sea ice

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:52:52 EST

It came out of Siberia, swirling winds over an area that covered almost the entire Arctic basin in the normally calm late summer. It came to be known as "The Great Arctic Cyclone of August 2012," and for some observers it suggested that the historic sea ice minimum may have been caused by a freak summer storm, rather than warming temperatures. But new results show that the August cyclone was not responsible for last year's record low for Arctic sea ice.

Satellite image shows eastern U.S. severe weather system

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:22:22 EST

A powerful cold front moving from the central United States to the East Coast is wiping out spring-like temperatures and replacing them with winter-time temperatures with powerful storms in between. An image released from NASA using data from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provides a stunning look at the powerful system that brings a return to winter weather in its wake.

Lessons of the 1953 East Coast of England flood disaster

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:13:13 EST

Sixty years ago, on 31 January and 1 February 1953, over 300 people died in flooding on the East Coast of England. Recent research has found that the Cabinet partly funded the response to avoid blame and further requests for funding.

Satellite visualization tool for high-resolution observation review (thor) accessible from any location with internet access

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:02:02 EST

With minimal coding effort an Earth-observing satellite tool can be converted into a practical web-based application. In addition, a 3-D visualization technique has been developed.

Climate change impacts to U.S. coasts threaten public health, safety and economy, report finds

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:30:30 EST

According to a new technical report, the effects of climate change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of US coastal communities' social, economic and natural systems.

The storm that never was: Why meteorologists are often wrong

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:07:07 EST

Have you ever woken up to a sunny forecast only to get soaked on your way to the office? On days like that it's easy to blame the weatherman. But engineering professor Julie Crockett doesn't get mad at meteorologists. She understands something that very few people know: it's not the weatherman's fault he's wrong so often.

Lightning linked to onset of headache, migraines

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:33:33 EST

Researchers have found that lightning may affect the onset of headaches and migraines.

Hailstones reveal life in a storm cloud

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:52:52 EST

It isn't life on Mars, but researchers have found a rich diversity of microbial life and chemicals in the ephemeral habitat of a storm cloud, according to a new study.

Prediction of Asian summer monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity close at hand

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:16:16 EST

The amount of rainfall and number of tropical storms during a summer monsoon season greatly impact the agriculture, economy, and people in Asia. A promising breakthrough for predicting in spring the summer monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity over East Asia has now been made.

New forecast system helps transoceanic flights avoid storms

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:52:52 EST

A new NASA-funded prototype system developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) of Boulder, Colo., now is providing weather forecasts that can help flights avoid major storms as they travel over remote ocean regions. The eight-hour forecasts of potentially dangerous atmospheric conditions are designed for pilots, air traffic controllers and others involved in transoceanic flights.

NASA's TRMM satellite provides 3-D analysis of super-typhoon Bopha

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:42:42 EST

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the eyewall of Super-typhoon Bopha in 3-D shortly before noon on Dec. 3, 2012 (Philippines local time). At that time, Bopha was at category 3 and had begun rapidly intensifying to category 5 prior to landfall in the pre-dawn hours the next morning. Bopha made landfall in the Philippines, on the island of Mindanao.

More intense North Atlantic tropical storms likely in the future

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:16:16 EST

Tropical storms that make their way into the North Atlantic, and possibly strike the East Coast of the United States, likely will become more intense during the rest of this century.

Storm surge barriers for Manhattan could worsen effects on nearby areas: Other options proposed

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:35:35 EST

The flooding in New York and New Jersey caused by Superstorm Sandy prompted calls from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials to consider building storm surge barriers to protect Lower Manhattan from future catastrophes. But, such a strategy could make things even worse for outlying areas that were hit hard by the hurricane, such as Staten Island, the New Jersey Shore and Long Island's South Shore, a City College of New York landscape architecture professor warns.

America's ancient hurricane belt and the U.S.-Canada equator

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:37:37 EST

The recent storms that have battered settlements on the east coast of America may have been much more frequent in the region 450 million years ago, according to scientists.

Roots of deadly 2010 India flood identified; Findings could improve warnings

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:11:11 EST

New research indicates that flash flooding that swept through the mountain town of Leh, India, in 2010 was set off by a string of unusual weather events similar to those that caused devastating flash floods in Colorado and South Dakota in the 1970s.

Super storm tracked by European Space Agency water mission

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:41:41 EST

When millions of people are bracing themselves for the onslaught of extreme weather, as much information as possible is needed to predict the strength of the impending storm. The European Space Agency's SMOS mission again showed its versatility by capturing unique measurements of Hurricane Sandy. As its name suggests, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite was designed to measure how much moisture is held in soil and how much salt is held in the surface waters of the oceans.

Firestation: Getting ready for launch

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:40:40 EST

An experiment to study the effects of lightning flashes on Earth's atmosphere has taken its first steps on its journey to space. The Firestation experiment has undergone numerous tests to make sure it's ready for flight. It left NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. in July 2012 for Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for vibration tests. From there it moved to Langley Research Center in Va. to make sure it could withstand the rigors of temperature changes and the vacuum it will experience in space.

Children, teens at risk for lasting emotional impact from Hurricane Sandy

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:40:40 EST

The unseen emotional aftershocks of Hurricane Sandy may linger for children who were in the storm's path. A psychologist discusses why children may experience PTSD and how parents and caregivers can help.

Superstorm animation shows Sandy's explosive development

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:01:01 EST

A computer animation shows the explosive development of Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm and its unusual track.

Satellite still shows Sandy's remnant clouds over eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S.

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:28:28 EDT

Satellite imagery from Nov. 2 showed that Sandy's remnant clouds continue to linger over Canada and the northeastern U.S.

Climate change affecting overall weather patterns, may affect water availability, in California

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:20:20 EDT

Climate change is affecting overall weather patterns, scientists say, and could affect water availability in California.

NASA adds up Hurricane Sandy's rainfall from space

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:21:21 EDT

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM, satellite acts as a rain gauge in space as it orbits the Earth's tropics. As TRMM flew over Hurricane Sandy since its birth on Oct. 21 it was gathering data that has now been mapped to show how much rain the storm dropped along the US eastern seaboard.

NASA/NOAA's Suomi NPP captures night-time view of Sandy's landfall

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

As Hurricane Sandy made a historic landfall on the New Jersey coast during the night of Oct. 29, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on NASA/NOAA's Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite captured a night-time view of the storm. This image provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison is a composite of several satellite passes over North America taken 16 to18 hours before Sandy's landfall.

Satellite captures the life and death of Hurricane Sandy on Halloween

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

Hurricane Sandy is giving up the ghost on Halloween over Pennsylvania. As the storm weakened to a remnant low pressure area the NASA GOES Project released an animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery covering Hurricane Sandy's entire life.

NASA satellites capture Hurricane Sandy's massive size

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:32:32 EDT

NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image Sandy's massive circulation. Sandy covers 1.8 million square miles, from the Mid-Atlantic to the Ohio Valley, into Canada and New England.

Superstorm Sandy: Eight to ten million cumulative power outages predicted

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

An engineer is predicting power outages for 8 to 10 million people in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

Economists weigh in on Sandy's impending financial fury

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

In addition to the immediate physical impacts Hurricane Sandy promises the Northeast, economists say the storm also will bring intrinsic financial effects that are sure to unfold over the next few days and linger through the coming months.

New England poultry producers may see effects from Sandy

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:22:22 EDT

Instead of an early snowfall this time of year, farmers along the eastern seaboard are dealing with flood waters and wind damage from Superstorm Sandy, which is expected to affect everything from poultry production to grocery prices.

NASA examines Hurricane Sandy as it affects the Eastern U.S.

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:38:38 EDT

On Monday, Oct. 29, Hurricane Sandy was ravaging the Mid-Atlantic with heavy rains and tropical storm force winds as it closed in for landfall. Earlier, NASA's CloudSat satellite passed over Hurricane Sandy and its radar dissected the storm get a profile or sideways look at the storm. NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared view of the cloud tops and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite showed the extent of the storm. The National Hurricane Center reported at 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 29 that Hurricane Sandy is "expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and coastal hurricane winds plus heavy Appalachian snows."

NASA's TRMM Satellite analyzes Hurricane Sandy in 3-D

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:26:26 EDT

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite, can measure rainfall rates and cloud heights in tropical cyclones, and was used to create an image to look into Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 28, 2012. Owen Kelly of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. created this image of Hurricane Sandy using TRMM data.

NASA satellites see Sandy expand as storm intensifies

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 11:11:11 EDT

Hurricane Sandy is a Category 1 hurricane on Oct. 28, according to the National Hurricane Center. Sandy has drawn energy from a cold front to become a huge storm covering a large area of the eastern United States. NASA satellite imagery provided a look at Sandy's 2,000-mile extent.

Sandy to erode many Atlantic beaches

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:40:40 EDT

Nearly three quarters of the coast along the Delmarva Peninsula is very likely to experience beach and dune erosion as Hurricane Sandy makes landfall, while overwash is expected along nearly half of the shoreline.

USGS storm-surge sensors deployed ahead of Tropical Storm Sandy

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 16:39:39 EDT

Storm response crews from the U.S. Geological Survey are installing more than 150 storm-tide sensors at key locations along the Atlantic Coast -- from the Chesapeake Bay to Massachusetts -- in advance of the arrival of Tropical Storm Sandy.

NASA satellites see Sandy become a hurricane again and strong winds expand

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:05:05 EDT

Sandy weakened to a Tropical Storm and strengthened back into a hurricane early on Saturday (Oct. 27), and its pressure was dropping, meaning that the storm is intensifying as it becomes an extra-tropical storm. NASA's TRMM satellite identified heavy rain falling within the system and NOAA's GOES satellites provided a picture of Sandy's massive size.

Hurricane Sandy looks as 'Frankenstorm' approaching U.S. East Coast

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:33:33 EDT

NASA's TRMM satellite revealed Hurricane Sandy's heavy rainfall and the storm is expected to couple with a powerful cold front and Arctic air to bring that heavy rainfall to the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern US. Some forecasters are calling this combination of weather factors "Frankenstorm" because of the close proximity to Halloween.

NASA sees power in Hurricane Sandy moving toward Bahamas

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:08:08 EDT

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hurricane Sandy as it was moving over eastern Cuba early on Oct. 25. The AIRS instrument captured an infrared image of Sandy that showed a large area of very high, cold cloud tops indicating the power within the storm. Sandy is now headed toward the Bahamas and warnings and watches have already been posted for the mainland US.

Goodness, gracious, great balls of lightning!

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:28:28 EDT

Australian scientists have unveiled a new theory which explains the mysterious phenomenon known as ball lightning.

Could a hurricane ever strike Southern California?

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:57:57 EDT

There's an old adage (with several variations) that California has four seasons: earthquake, fire, flood and drought. While Californians happily cede the title of Hurricane Capital of America to U.S. East and Gulf coasters, every once in a while, Mother Nature sends a reminder to Southern Californians that they are not completely immune to the whims of tropical cyclones. Typically, this takes the form of rainfall from the remnants of a tropical cyclone in the eastern Pacific, as happened recently when the remnants of Hurricane John brought rain and thunderstorms to parts of Southern California. But could a hurricane ever make landfall in Southern California?

Doing nothing might be best management decision for forests destroyed by wind or ice

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:41:41 EDT

In newscasts after intense wind and ice storms, damaged trees stand out: snapped limbs, uprooted trunks, entire forests blown nearly flat. In a storm's wake, landowners, municipalities and state agencies are faced with important financial and environmental decisions. New research yields a surprising result: when it comes to the health of forests, native plants and wildlife, the best management decision may be to do nothing.

Tropical cyclones are occurring more frequently than before, study shows

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:20:20 EDT

Are there more tropical cyclones now than in the past -- or is it just something we believe because we now hear more about them through media coverage and are better able detect them with satellites? New research shows that there is an increasing tendency for cyclones when the climate is warmer, as it has been in recent years.

Suomi NPP satellite sees auroras over North America

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:22:22 EDT

Overnight on October 4-5, 2012, a mass of energetic particles from the atmosphere of the Sun were flung out into space, a phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Three days later, the storm from the Sun stirred up the magnetic field around Earth and produced gorgeous displays of northern lights. NASA satellites track such storms from their origin to their crossing of interplanetary space to their arrival in the atmosphere of Earth.

NASA's HS3 mission thoroughly investigates long-lived Hurricane Nadine

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:12:12 EDT

NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3 scientists had a fascinating tropical cyclone to study in long-lived Hurricane Nadine. NASA's Global Hawk aircraft has investigated Nadine five times during the storm's lifetime.

Could lightning strikes be used to break down rubble into useful components of cement and aggregate?

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:37:37 EDT

Every year several millions of tons of building rubble are produced. An efficient way of recycling concrete – the building material of the 20th and 21st century – does not yet exist. Researchers are working on new recycling methods, and with the aid of lightning bolts, they can break down the mixture of cement and aggregate into its components.