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The latest Drought Monitor, released today, shows that areas of Florida, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas saw reductions in dry conditions are drought along the path of Hurricane Idalia but Virginia, which did not get any rain from Idalia, reported an increase in severe (D2) drought and dry conditions this week. Puerto Rico’s drought status…
Posted in: Drought -
Today, Hurricane Lee formed quickly after becoming a tropical storm. It is predicted to move through very favorable conditions for the next few days and is expected to become a major hurricane of category 4 or 5 in the next week. By the end of the week it will be approaching the Caribbean island chains…
Posted in: Tropical weather -
Evaluations of the impact of Hurricane Idalia continue to come in. Here are some additional stories I have seen lately in newsletters and forwarded to me by David Zierden, the Florida State Climatologist. Economic costs continue to rise from the destruction of infrastructure, including peanut buying facilities, barns, chicken houses, farm equipment, and irrigation pivots.…
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Here are some stories on climate and agriculture in the news that I found interesting. Maybe you will too. Some of these may be paywalled. Modern Farmer: ‘A Silent Killer’: How Saltwater Intrusion is Overtaking Coastal Farmland in the US Washington Post: Maui’s neglected grasslands caused Lahaina fire to grow with deadly speed Los Angeles…
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Reports of damage from Hurricane Idalia continue to be collected. The Vegetable Growers News published an updated report this weekend. It discusses the damage to pecans and fruit orchards as well as the losses due to power outages. You can read it here. In addition to the article linked above, I have seen more information…
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The latest 7-day tropical outlook from the National Hurricane Center shows that there is an area that is being watched for development in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is currently designated as Investigation 95 but it is 90% likely to become Tropical Storm Lee in the next week. While it is currently on a path…
Posted in: Tropical weather -
September 1st marked the end of climatological summer and the start of climatological fall. Can’t you already tell the difference? Just kidding, it’s still going to be hot for a while. Climatologists use June 1 through August 31 as the period for summer rather than the astronomical calendar because it aligns better with when the…
Posted in: Events