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
climate-change hurricanes meteorology natural-disasters atmospheric-science oceans wind

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
rainfall meteorology curious-kids clouds

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

 hurricane  storms  meteorology  natural-disasters  weather-forecasting  weather  tornado  thunderstorm  great-plains

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
rainfall meteorology weather nuclear-tests

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
covid-19 coronavirus extreme-weather meteorology weather-forecasting aviation aeroplanes flights natural-hazards

​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

 social-media  storms  meteorology  natural-disasters  weather-forecasting  early-warning-systems  tornado  tennessee  disaster-preparedness

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

 climate-change  flooding  storms  meteorology  natural-disasters  rain  snow  weather-forecasting  atmospheric-science  global-perspectives

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