A new forecast for this hurricane season predicts 18 named storms, with winds of at least 39 miles per hour; nine hurricanes, with winds of at least 74 mph; and four major hurricanes, with winds of at least 111 mph.
Weather and Climate
Flagler Replaces Confusing Letter-Based Evacuation Zones With Neighborhood Names as Hurricane Season Begins
As the 2023 hurricane season begins–with a forecast of 12 to 17 named storms–Flagler County’s Evacuation Zones A and B and C are a thing of the past, replaced by a more intuitive, neighborhood-named system. Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord previewed the season and a few changes ahead.
The Thinking error Behind Climate Change Deniers
Cold spells often bring climate change deniers out in force. From a scientific standpoint, these claims of disproof are absurd. Fluctuations in the weather don’t refute clear long-term trends in the climate. Yet many people believe these claims, and the political result has been reduced willingness to take action to mitigate climate change.
El Niño Is On the Way, With Oceans Already at Record High Temps
During El Niño, a swath of ocean stretching 6,000 miles warms for months on end, typically by 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit–more than enough to completely reorganize wind, rainfall and temperature patterns all over the planet.
Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Today in Flagler
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville cautions that today–Thursday–will bring unsettled weather to the Flagler-Palm Coast region.
Strong Nor’easter Conditions and Erosion Expected on Easter Sunday and Monday
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville is cautioning that strong north-northeasterly winds will develop in the wake of a cold front tonight and Sunday at coastal locations including all of Flagler County’s, with strong winds continuing through Monday.
Why Tornadoes Are Still Hard to Forecast
Meteorologists have gotten a lot better at forecasting the conditions that make tornadoes more likely. But predicting exactly which thunderstorms will produce a tornado and when is harder, and that’s where a lot of severe weather research is focused today.
Climate Is Reaching a Critical Turning Point, Report Warns, But Options Remain
The world is in deep trouble on climate change, but if we really put our shoulder to the wheel we can turn things around. Loosely, that’s the essence of today’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Severe Thunderstorm Potential Sunday Night Into Monday
A Low-pressure system and accompanying cold front will generate strong to severe thunderstorms Sunday afternoon into Monday in Northeast Florida and Southwest Georgia. The squall line is expected over Flagler County between 11 p.m. this evening and 8 a.m. Monday. after 7 p.m.
How Atmospheric Rivers Are Accelerating Polar Melt
Atmospheric rivers, those long, powerful streams of moisture in the sky, are becoming more frequent in the Arctic, and they’re helping to drive dramatic shrinking of the Arctic’s sea ice cover. Sea ice loss contributes to global warming and to extreme storms that cause economic damage well beyond the Arctic.