Hurricane Laura was the latest storm to strengthen fast, but is rapid intensification really becoming more common?

Laura went from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in less than 24 hours, sending coastal residents scrambling to prepare. Hurricanes Harvey and Michael exploded in strength in similar ways.

Chris Slocum, Physical Scientist, NOAA and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~6 min

Hurricane Laura was the latest storm to strengthen fast, but is this rapid intensification really becoming more common?

Laura went from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in less than 24 hours, sending coastal residents scrambling to prepare. Hurricanes Harvey and Michael exploded in strength in similar ways.

Chris Slocum, Physical Scientist, NOAA and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~6 min

Hurricane Laura was the latest storm with rapid intensification, but is this really becoming more common?

Laura went from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in less than 24 hours, sending coastal residents scrambling to prepare. Hurricanes Harvey and Michael exploded in strength in similar ways.

Chris Slocum, Physical Scientist, NOAA and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~6 min

Are hurricanes strengthening more rapidly?

Hurricanes Harvey, Michael and now Laura all had rapid intensification, but is it really becoming more common?

Chris Slocum, Physical Scientist, NOAA and Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2020 • ~6 min

Curious Kids: How much does a cloud weigh?

It's a lot more than you might think.

Rob Thompson, Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Meteorology, University of Reading • conversation
July 24, 2020 • ~5 min

What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems

Hurricane and tornado winds spin in circles, but there's another, equally dangerous storm type where winds barrel straight ahead. They're called derechos, and are most common in summer.

Russ Schumacher, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science and Colorado State Climatologist, Colorado State University • conversation
June 15, 2020 • ~9 min

Cold war nuclear tests changed rainfall thousands of miles away

Finding could be useful for attempts to manipulate the weather using technology.

Giles Harrison, Professor of Atmospheric Physics, University of Reading • conversation
May 14, 2020 • ~5 min

Grounded aircraft could make weather forecasts less reliable

More than one million weather observations were made by aircraft each day in 2019. Since the pandemic started, these have dropped by 90%.

Matthew Blackett, Reader in Physical Geography and Natural Hazards, Coventry University • conversation
May 13, 2020 • ~6 min

​Tornadoes that strike at night are more deadly and require more effective warning systems

In the Southeast US, tornadoes strike at night more often than in other regions. This poses special challenges for getting early warnings to the public.

Alisa Hass, Assistant Professor of Geoscience, Middle Tennessee State University • conversation
March 5, 2020 • ~8 min

Atmospheric river storms can drive costly flooding – and climate change is making them stronger

Earth's biggest rivers are streams of warm water vapor in the atmosphere that can cause huge rain and snowfall over land. Climate change is making them longer, wetter and stronger.

Tom Corringham, Postdoctoral Scholar in Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography, University of California San Diego • conversation
Jan. 27, 2020 • ~8 min

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