Weather, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 15, 2023

Deadly cyclone 'Freddy' may be the longest-lived and most energetic storm ever recorded

A super-powered cyclone named Freddy has likely broken a number of mindblowing records since it formed in early February. The monstrous storm has crossed the Indian Ocean and made landfall three separate times, and may be the most energetic and long-lasting storm ever recorded. Freddy was first named on Feb....

Apr 10, 2023

Why don't hurricanes form at the equator?

The fierce winds of a hurricane are known as tropical cyclones in some parts of the world, so you might expect them to sweep across the entire tropics. But there's one area of the tropics where hurricanes almost never form: the equator. Historical maps of the locations of tropical cyclones...

Aug 30, 2023

A blue supermoon and soaring ocean temperatures created a perfect storm for Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia has reached northern Florida and continues to batter the state with torrential rain and howling winds, despite dropping from a Category 4 to a Category 2 storm. Idalia made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region around 7:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday (Aug. 30), according to the National...

Sep 6, 2023

Tropical Storm Lee could become an 'extremely dangerous major hurricane' by this weekend

Tropical Storm Lee could potentially strengthen into an extremely dangerous major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean by this weekend, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports. Forecasters are monitoring the tropical storm's path and are confident that it will next careen toward the Leeward Islands, a cluster of islands that includes...

Sep 15, 2023

Hurricane season 2023: How long it lasts and what to expect

Hurricane season in the Atlantic brings a host of dramatic and dangerous weather, from whipping winds, torrential downpours, power outages and flash floods. And as climate change has been tied to an increase in hurricane intensity, these impacts could continue to worsen. But when exactly does the Atlantic hurricane season...

Feb 7, 2024

We may need a new 'Category 6' hurricane level for winds over 192 mph, study suggests

Five categories may not be enough to convey the power of hurricanes that occur in a warming world, new research finds. The current scale for communicating hurricane risk, the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, categorizes storms using wind speeds. The mildest category, Category 1, involves wind speeds between 74 and 95 mph...

Jul 27, 2012

Melting Ice Floods Greenland River, Satellite Photo Shows

Melting ice in Greenland has swelled the island's rivers with water. A NASA satellite snapped a photo of meltwater overflowing the banks of the Watson River near Kangerlussuaq, a key air transportation hub, on July 12. Two weeks later, however, river levels have receded somewhat, according to a release from...

Aug 7, 2012

Ernesto Brings Tremendous Flooding Risk

This article was provided by AccuWeather.com. As Ernesto continues to move westward, the weather will go downhill rapidly in Belize and the rest of the Yucatan Peninsula into Tuesday evening. Ernesto has gathered a large field of moisture in the form of towering showers and thunderstorms, capable of unleashing a...

Aug 21, 2012

Shanghai Faces Big Flood Risk

Among nine major cities built on river deltas around the world, Shanghai is the most vulnerable to destruction from serious flooding, a new study found. A 1-in-100 year flood in Shanghai would lead to widespread damage, with serious consequences for the city, across China and, through wider economic links, for...

Sep 17, 2012

Sanba Slams Okinawa, South Korea with Flooding Rain

This article was provided by AccuWeather.com. Sanba crashed into the Japanese island of Okinawa early Sunday morning, local time, bringing damaging winds and torrential rain. The storm then made a second landfall in South Korea Monday, local time. The storm has since weakened to a tropical storm. Sanba, the most...

Sep 21, 2012

Worst Flooding In Decades Across Parts of Africa

This article was provided by AccuWeather.com. Persistent heavy rains across portions of western Africa since July have led to widespread flooding and more than 100 deaths. Areas from Niger and Nigeria into Cameroon have been the hardest hit from flooding. The death toll has been rising in all three nations....

Sep 24, 2012

Devastating Pakistan Flooding Seen From Space

Torrential rains in Pakistan have drenched the country in the past month, causing massive flooding that has affected hundreds of thousands of people, causing deaths and injuries. NASA's Aqua satellite acquired these images of the flooding from space; they show floodwaters advancing beyond the banks of the Indus River and...

Oct 2, 2012

Tree Loss May Double Floods in Snowy Areas

Deforestation could double the number of big floods in snowy regions in North America, a new study suggests. Throughout the continent's interior, many creeks and rivers pick up their flow from melting snow that piles up in mountainous areas. And the size of the flows depends on both the amount...

Oct 28, 2012

Hurricane Sandy May Unleash Historic Floods in NYC

As Hurricane Sandy heads toward the East Coast, storm crews are placing hundreds of sensors to predict the toll of flooding in the region. The combination of an extremely dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters, according...

Nov 5, 2012

Massive Flood That Caused Ancient 'Big Freeze' Located

A giant flood of Arctic meltwater may have triggered an ancient 1,200-year-long chill nicknamed the Big Freeze, the last major cold age on Earth, a new study finds. These findings suggest that changes in the flow of water in the Arctic could suddenly alter the modern climate, study investigators added....