Weather, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 28, 2014

Hurricane Sandy's Rainfall Decoded Via CrowdSourcing

The storm smash-up that morphed Hurricane Sandy into a hybrid weather monster left a chemical trail that scientists have decoded with the help of crowdsourced water samples. After a long run up the East Coast from its Caribbean birthplace, Superstorm Sandy was no longer considered a hurricane when it came...

Dec 31, 2013

Why Is It So Hot in Australia?

Record-high heat has scorched Australia this week, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) for several days in a row in some areas. Relief is expected for this weekend, however. Blazing temperatures have hit athletes and fans at the Australian Open in Melbourne, in what forecasters said could...

Dec 31, 2013

Soil-Free Farming Grows Vegetables in the Desert

With average summer precipitation of about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters), temperatures higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and nutrient-poor sandy soil, it's easy to see why agriculture hasn't taken off for the nations of the Persian Gulf. But an innovative technology used to grow plants on specialized films...

Sep 30, 2015

Epic South Carolina Storm: A '1,000-Year Level of Rain'

South Carolina is still struggling after massive rainstorm that dumped up to forty percent of the average yearly rainfall in just a few days in some places. We are at a 1,000-year level of rain, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said at a news briefing on Sunday (Oct. 4). That's...

Sep 30, 2015

Hurricane Patricia: How Big Can Tropical Cyclones Get?

Hurricane Patricia is currently churning in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and weather forecasters are calling it the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. Communities in southern Mexico, where the hurricane is expected to make landfall later today (Oct. 23), are already preparing for a potentially catastrophic storm. But...

Jul 31, 2015

Hurricane Katrina's Stark Changes Endure in Images from Space

Louisiana's dramatically enlarged lakes and inundated marshes — stark reminders of Hurricane Katrina’s ferocity 10 years ago — are prominent in a new satellite image. Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall along the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 3 storm on Aug. 29, 2005, transformed the marshes that buffer New Orleans...

Jul 31, 2015

10 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Have Weather Forecasts Improved?

The fierce Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast, taking more than 1,800 lives, made landfall 10 years ago. And though meteorologists knew then it would slam New Orleans with levee-toppling intensity, today's weather forecasters are even better equipped to give notice of a storm's coming havoc. Overall, meteorologists have...

Jun 30, 2015

Sparse Snow on Cascade's Mount Baker Viewed from Space

New photos taken from space show the significant snow loss this year atop Mount Baker, in Washington state. The mountain sits about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of the Canadian border and 85 miles (135 km) northeast of Seattle. The steep, cone-shaped volcano rises 10,780 feet (3,286 meters) above sea...

May 31, 2015

Astronaut Spies Menacing Tropical Storm Bill from Space

Tropical Storm Bill lurks menacingly near the coast of Texas in a photo taken from space yesterday (June 15). The image was captured from the International Space Station, and shows the storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of the Lone Star State. The storm made...

Mar 31, 2015

Tornado Alert in Central US: The Science of Severe Storms

This story was updated on April 9 at 9:48 a.m. ET. A wide swath of the central United States is at risk of thunderstorms and possible tornadoes over the next couple of days, according to the National Weather Service. There is severe weather forecasted today (April 8) in two regions...

Sep 30, 2016

Spooky Satellite Photo Shows Hurricane Matthew's 'Skull'

See more An overhead satellite image of Hurricane Matthew battering Haiti is disturbing people across the internet for an unusual reason: The image bears an uncanny resemblance to a skull or spooky goblin face. The sinister satellite image, which was posted on Twitter Tuesday (Oct. 4) by Stu Ostro, a...

Sep 30, 2017

Hurricane Ophelia on Rare Course Toward Ireland, U.K.

As if the 2017 hurricane season weren’t already notable enough, now Hurricane Ophelia is on a rare track toward Ireland and the British Isles. While it will no longer be a tropical system by the time it reaches them, it could still bring rain, stormy seas and winds gusting up...

Aug 31, 2017

3 Hurricanes Are Roiling the Atlantic At Once

The Atlantic officially has three hurricanes churning simultaneously — Irma, Jose and Katia. Irma, a powerful Category 5 storm, is currently battering Puerto Rico and on track to slam into Florida, while Jose is barreling toward the Caribbean Islands, while Katia is menacing the Gulf of Mexico. Both Jose and...

Aug 31, 2017

If Hurricane Irma Hits Miami, Damage Could Be 'Unprecedented'

As Hurricane Irma barrels toward Florida, it's looking increasingly likely that South Florida, a major population hub, could take a major hit from the monster storm. But how bad would a direct hit from Hurricane Irma be? The answer is really, really bad. The storm could cause unprecedented levels of...

Aug 31, 2017

Where Will Hurricane Irma Make Landfall on the Florida Peninsula?

Ferocious Hurricane Irma continues to roar through the Atlantic on its path toward the Florida Peninsula. As of 2 p.m. EDT today (Sept. 8), the eye of Hurricane Irma was located 57 miles (92 kilometers) off the northern coast of Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The fierce...