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Hawaii Prepares for Increased Rainfall as Storm Approaches Wildfire-Affected Areas

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The rain-soaked Hawaiian Islands are preparing for another potential flood this Thursday, just days after record-breaking storms wreaked havoc, buckling roads and damaging buildings.

According to the University of Hawaii’s climate data team, certain areas of Maui received over 5 feet of rain from March 10 to 16, with 33 inches falling in a mere 24 hours at Haleakala Crater near the island’s summit.

While this impending storm is expected to be weaker than its predecessors, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns that flooding could return quickly. A majority of Hawaii remains under a flood watch.

“Due to the high soil saturation from the recent Kona storm, even moderate rainfall poses a risk of rapid runoff and flooding,” stated NWS forecasters on Thursday.

Kona storms are pivotal weather patterns in Hawaii, responsible for delivering heavy rain to the island’s typically dry leeward regions. The rainfall anticipated this week is attributed to a new Kona storm.

These storms significantly interact with Hawaii’s wildfire concerns. The areas receiving the Kona storm’s heavy rains have historically also been wildfire-prone. Rainfall in these fire-affected regions increases runoff and erosion, exacerbating flooding and rising landslide risks.

Lahaina, where over 100 lives were lost in the 2023 Maui fires, is significantly impacted by the recent flooding. Joseph Puruta, a Lahaina resident who lost his home in the fire, lamented the debris washing down the burn scar.

“Debris is flowing down the hill into homes, the ocean, and the streets. It’s a dire situation,” Puruta stated.

The extreme rainfall in Hawaii coincides with widespread weather chaos across the U.S. On Wednesday and Thursday, California and Arizona recorded unprecedented high temperatures, with some areas hitting the 90s and even triple digits. Previously, heavy snow impacted Nebraska, which is also battling severe wildfires.

Hawaii is no stranger to rain, primarily caused by a phenomenon known as “orographic lift,” where trade winds encounter the island’s mountainous terrains. This interaction forces air upwards, leading to cooling and cloud formation. Typically, the winds blow from the northeast, keeping most precipitation confined to the upwind regions.

“In upwind areas, the annual average is about 400 inches,” remarked Thomas Giambelka, a professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Conversely, the southern and western parts of the island generally stay relatively dry.

However, during Kona Arashi, this norm reverses. Storms arise due to shifts in the jet stream, a high-altitude air flow moving from west to east. In a Kona storm, low pressure drifts away from the jet stream and gathers northwest of the island, pulling moist tropical air toward Hawaii. This results in winds blowing from the south, delivering heavy rainfall to normally dry regions.

Last weekend’s Kona storm set daily rainfall records at four official sites, as reported by the Honolulu National Weather Service.

Maui County spokesperson Lakshmi Abraham indicated that the impact is “unlike anything we’ve encountered in our lifetimes.”

A boat runs aground off the coast of Kihei, Hawaii, during heavy rain on March 13th.
Maui County (via AP)

The Kona storm impacts Maui areas where wildfires are increasingly common. This trend is linked to the spread of non-native, highly flammable grasses, especially on previously cultivated lands.

According to Clay Trauernicht, a wildland fire expert at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, the dangers posed by these invasive grasses have been a longstanding concern. The 2023 Lahaina fire brought this issue to the forefront.

However, many people still fail to recognize the close relationship between fires and floods, Trauernicht noted.

Flooding can facilitate the growth of non-native grasses, which subsequently die during droughts.

“This cycle adds more fuel to the situation,” remarked Camilo Mora, a climate scientist and professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Concurrently, rain can rapidly run off the recently scorched slopes, intensifying flooding risks, Trauernicht explained. Additionally, areas filled with unburned non-native grasses have shallower water tables that are less absorbent than native forests.

“The root structure tends to be matted with shallow roots,” Trauernicht observed. “This contributes to more water flowing over the surface.”

Locations like Lahaina are “extremely vulnerable due to their fire history,” Trauernicht emphasized.

Historically, many areas were susceptible to flooding, even before the wildfire issue escalated. Portions of South Maui are situated in federally designated floodplains, including parts of Kihei. Reports indicate apartment collapses and road deterioration during the recent storm, according to Hawaii News Now.

Maui County Public Works Director Jordan Molina commented on the ongoing upgrades to the region’s drainage systems to enhance resilience against flooding, although recent storms have stressed existing infrastructure.

“Creating an infrastructure capable of entirely mitigating flooding during extreme storms, like this Kona storm, would necessitate a vast and costly system that is financially impractical,” Molina stated via email.

The Department of Public Works prepared equipment on Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the next storm, clearing debris from roads and inspecting drainage channels for blockages.

“It’s worrisome, but we are prepared for flooding,” Giambellucci remarked. “Handling this repeatedly could be detrimental.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Eighty Percent of the Global Population Now Resides in Urban Areas

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Eixample district in Barcelona, Spain

Shutterstock/Bear Photo

Currently, over 80 percent of the global population resides in urban areas, a statistic that’s on the rise, emphasizing the necessity for cities to enhance both human health and environmental sustainability, as detailed in a significant United Nations report.

The latest Outlook for Global Urbanization report, published in 2018, indicated that 55 percent of the population lived in urban settings. However, these estimates vary internationally based on disparate definitions of urban and rural regions. For instance, Denmark considers an urban settlement to be one with a population of about 200, while Japan sets the threshold at 50,000, obscuring the understanding of global urbanization.

To clarify matters, Sarah Hertog, a researcher for the United Nations in New York, identified urban areas as those with at least 50,000 inhabitants and a density of 1,500 people per square kilometer, or cities with a minimum of 5,000 people and 300 people per square kilometer.2 “For the first time, we applied a consistent definition across all countries,” Hertog stated.

The researchers analyzed satellite and national survey data from 237 nations and territories to project global urbanization trends for 2025. Their findings indicated that 45 percent of the world’s population currently resides in cities, most within urban areas of fewer than 250,000 inhabitants, meaning a total of 81 percent of people are urban residents, with the last 19 percent in rural regions.

Statistical models incorporating factors like aging and migration patterns predict that by 2050, 83 percent of the global population will inhabit cities rather than rural settings. Although the overall number of city and town residents will rise until 2050, the rural population, mainly influenced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is expected to peak in the 2040s and subsequently decline until 2050.

These new estimates will assist the United Nations in tracking progress towards its goals. Hertog noted that the aim is to achieve the 11th Sustainable Development Goal, which aspires to make urban areas more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by 2030. The outcomes will also be included in a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to help inform policies to mitigate climate change.

Factors driving urban population growth differ by region. In eastern and southern Asia, rural-to-urban migration is predominant. “People migrate not just for job opportunities and education, but also for social interactions,” according to Hertog. While international migration significantly influences Europe and North America, in sub-Saharan Africa, the rise is largely attributable to higher birth rates compared to death rates.

The increase in urbanization presents both challenges and opportunities for the environment. As urban populations expand city limits, improper public transport planning can lead to urban sprawl, increasing car dependency and carbon emissions. Conversely, thoughtful planning can yield more energy-efficient transit options than those offered in rural areas.

Urbanization also impacts health. For instance, residents in urban settings are typically more susceptible to air pollution and extreme heat, which correlate with issues like cardiovascular problems and a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as stated by Andrea Mechelli from King’s College London. Moreover, the scarcity of green spaces in certain urban locales can lead to heightened anxiety and cases of depression, he emphasizes.

However, urbanization also offers health advantages. “Healthcare in urban settings tends to be more accessible and comprehensive compared to rural areas,” notes Mechelli. “Additionally, social connections are easier to establish in cities, where individuals can find like-minded people, unlike in rural regions where one might need to travel for hours to meet others with similar interests.”

This does not imply that urbanization should be halted or that city living is undesirable. Mechelli concluded, “This report underscores the urgency to enhance our urban environments, making them greener and more livable, which would yield numerous benefits.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

ALMA Observes Spiral Gas Streamers Controlled by Magnetic Fields in Star-Forming Areas

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This stream of gas transports material from the clouds surrounding the star-forming area within Perseus directly into an emerging binary star system known as SVS 13A.

Artist’s impression of the SVS 13A system. Image credit: NSF/AUI/NSF’s NRAO/P.Vosteen.

Stars are formed from clouds of gas and dust, and recent observations indicate that the process of star formation is far more dynamic than previously understood.

New findings from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) reveal both dust and molecules swirling around the SVS 13A system. This data shows how the magnetic field not only permeates these stellar nurseries but actively directs the flow of matter, offering a preferred path for gas to accumulate in the disk where new stars and planets arise.

“Visualize a garden hose, but instead of water, it smoothly channels materials for star formation through intricate pathways carved by unseen forces,” explains Dr. Paulo Cortes, an astronomer at the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the joint ALMA telescope.

“This perspective from ALMA observations presents channels of gas known as subalfvénic streamers, regulated by spiral magnetic field lines.”

“This new data provides an insightful glimpse into the star formation process.”

“These streamers illustrate how magnetic fields can influence star formation by managing material influx, akin to a private highway facilitating car travel.”

ALMA’s images and findings uncover two spiral arms of dust encircling the star, with gas streams closely mirroring the same trajectory.

This remarkable configuration implies that the gas within the streamer is traversing at a slower pace than previously believed, reinforcing the concept of a magnetized channel rather than a chaotic, collapsing cloud.

The presence of such streamers, linking clouds to disks and supplying them with material in a managed fashion, indicates that both gravity and magnetism are crucial in the formation of stars and the shaping of potential planetary bodies around them.

This groundbreaking result signifies the first instance where astronomers have directly mapped both a streamer and its associated magnetic field in a single observation.

“Subalfvenic streamers indicate a fresh role for magnetic fields amidst gravitational dominance, acting as ‘guides’ to assist the descent of material from the outer envelope to the disk,” the astronomers remarked.

Upcoming findings are detailed in a paper in the Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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PC Cortez et al. 2025. First results from ALPPS: SVS 13A subalfvenic streamer. APJL 992, L31; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0c04

Source: www.sci.news

Worms Unite to Create Tentacles and Explore New Areas

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jlpeimmgyw

What should a tiny millimeter worm do when food is scarce? The solution lies in teaming up with countless companions to form tentacle-like structures that can bridge gaps to nearby objects or capture larger prey to aid in their journey.

Researchers examining nematode worms in laboratory settings have long observed their ability to construct “towers,” yet these phenomena lacked thorough exploration, states Serenadine from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany. Therefore, she and her team aimed to investigate this further.

The research focused on the Caenorhabditis elegans worm species. In their experiments, when food was inadequate, and given a structure to assemble, a significant number of worms tended to create towers. For these studies, they utilized toothbrush bristles as a base.

While worms occasionally formed towers without any physical support, these structures were typically under 5 mm tall and only lasted about a minute. In contrast, when built upon the bristles, the towers reached heights of 11 mm and could endure for up to half a day.

In other nematode species, reports indicate towers can grow as tall as 50 mm. “They can expand significantly,” notes Din.

Although the base of the tower remains steady, the upper portion can extend well beyond the support and exhibit movement similar to tentacles. This allows the towers to reach out to nearby surfaces, forming bridges that enable the worms to traverse much wider gaps than individual organisms could manage.

“Tower” of nematode worms on rotten apples

Perez et al. Current Biology (2025)

The towers are capable of gripping objects that come into contact with them, such as fruit fly legs, effectively hitching a ride for the worms. This allows them to travel further without exerting their own energy.

While it’s known that individual nematodes can latch onto insects for transportation, the idea that an entire tower could do the same was previously unverified. “That’s a feature we expect to observe,” says Ding.

Utilizing a digital microscope, the researchers documented the tower’s formation on a decaying apple in an orchard adjacent to their laboratory.

Worm towers are exclusively formed by a single species, despite the presence of various species around them. They can consist of worms at any stage of their life cycle, even if the team discovers them during the process. Previously, it was believed that only “Dawer” worms, which are in their hard larval stage during stressful conditions, could create these towers.

There are other similarly crude forms of aggregation. For instance, slime molds, which are single-celled organisms like amoebas, can group together to form larger masses that move in search of nourishment.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Report Seaweed in the Caribbean and Surrounding Areas Experienced a Collision in May

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“That’s the million-dollar question,” he remarked. “I don’t have a very satisfactory answer.”

There are three distinct types of Sargassum found in the Caribbean and surrounding regions, buoyed by small air sacs, which makes their presence truly remarkable. According to Burns, scientists are currently observing various factors influencing its growth, which depend on sunlight, nutrients, and water temperature.

Experts also point to agricultural runoff, warmer waters, and alterations in wind, currents, and rainfall as factors that can have an impact.

Large mats of algae in the open ocean create what Burns refers to as a “healthy and thriving ecosystem,” home to species ranging from tiny shrimp to endangered sea turtles. However, Sargassum close to shore can wreak havoc.

It can block sunlight essential for coral reefs and seagrasses, and when the algae sink, they may suffocate these ecosystems. Once washed ashore, the organisms that inhabit the algae either perish or are scavenged by birds, according to Burns.

The massive piles of odorous seaweed pose a significant challenge for the Caribbean, especially since tourism is a vital economic driver for many small islands.

“It’s a hurdle, but it hasn’t impacted every corner of the Caribbean,” said Frank Comitto, a special advisor to the Caribbean Hotels and Tourism Association.

At a popular tourist destination in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, officials have invested in barriers to keep Sargassum from reaching the beaches, he noted.

In St. Maarten’s Dutch Caribbean territory, teams equipped with backhoes were mobilized for an emergency cleanup after residents reported a strong ammonia and hydrogen sulfide odor.

“The smell is quite unpleasant,” Burns stated.

Meanwhile, in the French Caribbean, officials plan to quickly utilize storage barges and specialized vessels capable of collecting several tons of seaweed daily.

Sargassum “will harm our coastlines, hinder swimming, and create unbearable living conditions for local residents,” French Prime Minister François Beilou recently informed the press.

However, Comitto mentioned that employing such vessels is “very costly” and not widely accepted, while an alternative method (using heavy machinery) is labor-intensive.

“We must tread carefully, as sea turtle eggs might be affected,” he advised. “You can’t just go there and bulldoze everything away.”

As some Caribbean islands face financial challenges, most cleanup efforts fall to hotels, with certain guests receiving refunds and complimentary shuttles to unaffected beaches.

Each year, the volume of Sargassum increases at the end of spring, peaks during summer, and then starts to decline in late autumn or early winter, noted Burns.

The recent record levels remain relatively stationary. Experts are hopeful for more Sargassum in June.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Report shows nearly 50% of Americans residing in areas with insufficient air quality

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A total of 156 million residents in the US, approximately 46% of the population, resided in areas with poor air quality that received an “F” grade from the American Lung Association due to ozone or particle pollution. This indicates a decline in the country’s air quality standards, as per the Association’s 26th Annual Air Quality Data Analysis.

An examination of data from 2021 to 2023 revealed a rise of about 25 million individuals living in unhealthy environments compared to the previous year’s survey results.

The report highlights the impact of climate change, such as increased heat, drought, and wildfire smoke, contributing to changes in air quality nationwide.

Katherine Pruitt, senior director of Clean Air Policy, expressed surprise at the significant increase in the number of people residing in areas with poor air quality, especially due to ozone degradation. She emphasized the influence of hot and sunny weather conditions on this deterioration.

In 2023, the final year of the Lung Association’s analysis, global temperatures recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were among the highest on record. The US experienced the fifth-highest temperatures in its history.

The spike in ozone levels, particularly in states like Texas facing intense heatwaves in 2023, was evident. Pruitt pointed out how towns like Del Rio endured temperatures exceeding 100 degrees for extended periods.

Additionally, heavy wildfire smoke significantly impacted air quality, with regions like the northeast being exposed to the most smoke in modern American history due to wildfires in Canada.

The growing threat of wildfire smoke has hindered progress made under the Clean Air Act, releasing particles that pose health risks. Recent studies indicate that around 25% of Clean Air Act progress has been reversed due to increased wildfire smoke.

Pruitt warned of ongoing environmental degradation and its consequences, emphasizing the need to address emission sources to combat these challenges.

The EPA’s plans to roll back environmental regulations, including revisiting programs under the Clean Air Act, have raised concerns about future air quality standards.

Bakersfield, California, was identified as having the most polluted air in the country from 2021 to 2023, ranking high for both short-term particle pollution and ozone pollution.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Tesla sales are slow even in the most electric vehicle-friendly areas

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Norway is a thriving market for Tesla, with electric cars making up over 90% of new car sales in Scandinavian countries. Buyers in Norway are knowledgeable about batteries, charging, and range, making it a key market for Tesla where sales have remained relatively stable compared to other countries.

Global analysts expect Tesla’s worldwide sales to decline, partially due to consumer backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration.

Oslo urban planner Geia Rognien Ergbin initially supported Tesla but grew disillusioned with Musk’s political affiliations and data security policies. He replaced his Tesla with a cargo bike and a shared electric Volkswagen.

Tesla’s sales in Norway have declined as consumers look for alternative electric vehicle options. Competitors like Volkswagen, Volvo, BMW, and Chinese manufacturers are gaining ground in the market.

The decline in Norway’s advanced electric car market is indicative of a larger trend globally.

Tesla’s sales are declining due to reliance on limited models and increasing competition from traditional automakers offering diverse electric vehicle options.

Despite Tesla’s previous dominance, other automakers are catching up in technology and market share, impacting Tesla’s sales.

Tesla’s sales in Europe are facing challenges as consumers wait for upgraded models and explore other electric vehicle options. Musk’s political affiliations and controversial statements are also influencing consumer perception of the brand.

Consumer backlash against Musk and Tesla’s association with right-wing politics is affecting sales in Europe, particularly for the Model 3. Competitors are gaining ground in the electric vehicle market.

Some Tesla owners in Norway are feeling embarrassed about supporting the brand due to Musk’s political affiliations. Despite this, they are still using their Teslas as alternatives are not easily available.

Norway’s largest used car dealer has seen an increase in Tesla sales, despite consumer concerns about the brand. The competitive pricing and performance of Tesla cars continue to attract buyers.

Traditional automakers are introducing new electric vehicle models with advanced battery technology, posing a competitive challenge to Tesla. Consumers now have more options in the electric vehicle market.

Anusha Baiya Contributed report from New York Henrik Pryser Libell From Oslo.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Increasing fire risk due to drought in Northeastern areas.

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overview

  • Much of the Northeast is in drought after an unusually dry and warm start to autumn.
  • Nationally, October was one of the driest months on record.
  • Fires are burning in New Jersey and Connecticut, and the fire danger remains high.

The dryness and unseasonably warm weather in the Northeast has pushed much of the region into drought, sparking wildfires in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

October ended as one of the driest months on record in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Precipitation was particularly low in the northeast.

Cities such as Philadelphia. Newark, New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware. And Norfolk, Virginia, recorded no rain at all in October. Southeast Regional Climate Center collects precipitation data from more than 1,400 weather stations across the country. Several cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., set new records for consecutive days without any measurable precipitation in October.

Firefighters and wildfire in Evesham, New Jersey, Wednesday, November 6, 2024
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (via AP)

“This is an area that is not typically associated with drought,” said Benjamin Cook, a part-time researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York. “It's not very common for really severe drought conditions to last this long.”

The drought continues into the first week of November, leaving much of the region in a “severe” drought. US Drought Monitor tracks the national situation and publishes weekly color-coded maps showing the extent and intensity of the drought.

The Drought Monitor's latest maps released Thursday showed drought conditions extending from Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York to Massachusetts and Maine. Dry conditions have intensified in some states, with parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland currently in “extreme” drought.

“Extreme drought is basically a once-in-25-year type of drought,” says Brian, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and one of the mapmakers for the U.S. Drought Monitor.・Mr. Fuchs says. .

Drought watches and warnings have been issued in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, asking people to voluntarily reduce their water use.

Part of the region's dry and warmer-than-usual weather is due to a strong high-pressure system that has remained over much of the country for several weeks. In the Northeast, Great Lakes, and South, temperatures were 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for late October and early November.

More than half of the continental United States is experiencing some degree of drought. That includes 56% of the Northeast, according to the Drought Monitor.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Review of Starfield: Shattered Space – Addressing Areas for Improvement | Game

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TThe first expansion story for Bethesda’s space RPG comes after a year of updates that have fixed the game’s flaws. Quest-breaking bugs are gone, there are vehicles for easier planetside travel, city maps are improved, and a 60fps mode is added for Xbox Series X players. However, NPCs still feel stiff and there are many loading screens. Despite this, the Shattered Space expansion aims to build upon the game’s progress.

Bethesda realized that traveling through space via cutscenes was lackluster, so Shattered Space mostly takes place on a single map. The story revolves around the Varoon family, a cult of space serpent worshippers. Players embark on a mission to save a civilization hit by a catastrophe, encountering various tasks and challenges along the way.

Tasks range from interstellar travel to defeating phantoms and mundane chores. While reminiscent of classic Bethesda RPGs, many tasks lack excitement and are hindered by clunky movement mechanics.

Exploring the planet’s landscape can be frustrating due to impassable rocks and lack of interesting discoveries. The gameplay lacks the depth and immersion found in Bethesda’s previous titles.

The attempt to introduce cosmic horror elements falls short, reverting to typical gunfights and loot collection. Unreliable quest markers make the game frustrating, overshadowing the engaging main story and visual appeal of the game.

Shattered Space offers more of the same experience as Starfield, lacking the variety of spaceflight. Despite its flaws, there is potential for improvement in future updates, but a full sequel may be needed to address fundamental issues. The core brilliance of Starfield remains unfulfilled, leaving room for growth.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Living in areas with abundant trees may lower risk of heart disease, study finds

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A recent study suggests that living in a neighborhood filled with trees can have similar heart benefits to regular exercise. Researchers at the University of Louisville conducted a clinical trial involving hundreds of people living in six low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in South Louisville, Kentucky. They found that planting thousands of mature trees near people’s homes led to lower levels of blood markers associated with heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

The Green Heart Louisville Project, part of the HEAL Research, revealed that areas with more trees and shrubs had improved health outcomes compared to areas with fewer trees. This study aimed to reduce the incidence of heart disease in the community under the leadership of Professor Aruni Bhatnagar.

Unlike previous observational research, the HEAL study had a control group and an intervention group, providing clearer insights into the effects of nature. Participants aged 25 to 75 living in South Louisville were recruited for the study, with samples collected before and after the tree-planting intervention.

The results showed a 13% decrease in a blood marker associated with heart disease in individuals living in areas with more trees. This reduction was comparable to the benefits seen from starting a regular exercise routine.

Overall, the study demonstrated a strong link between trees and improved physical health by providing shade, cooling, and noise reduction. Beyond physical health, trees also offer mental health benefits and create spaces for relaxation, exercise, and socialization.

How trees improve your physical health

Trees play a crucial role in mitigating urban heat and air pollution, which can worsen existing health conditions. The project in South Louisville focused on areas with poor air quality to study the impact of tree planting on pollution levels.

As the project continues, researchers plan to expand tree planting to other areas and explore additional benefits such as encouraging outdoor activities and improving overall well-being. The findings highlight the importance of equitable access to green spaces in cities and the essential role of nature in human health.

In conclusion, nature is not just a luxury but a necessity for human well-being, and efforts should be made to ensure everyone has access to green spaces for a healthier future.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Heatwave strikes California and other areas along the West Coast

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The West Coast is facing a dangerous heatwave that is expected to peak on Saturday, putting people at risk of health issues long after temperatures reach their highest point. According to a national update on Friday, forecasters anticipate that a wide range of temperature records will be broken or tied, with temperatures in California expected to reach the 110s on Saturday. The hot weather will persist well into the following week, raising concerns about health risks such as heart attacks and heat strokes, especially among older adults and individuals with chronic diseases.

At Sunrise Farm near Coachella, California on July 3rd.Mario Tama/Getty Images

The heatwave is expected to persist for more than a week, prompting warnings from the National Weather Service about record-breaking temperatures in California, Oregon, and Washington. Areas like the Sacramento Valley, at the heart of the heat wave, are under warning until at least next Tuesday. Meteorologists predict some relief early next week, but temperatures are still likely to exceed 100 degrees in certain regions.

Heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, pose a significant risk during prolonged periods of extreme heat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows a sharp increase in heatstroke-related emergency room visits, with the incidence more than doubling in recent days. In regions like the San Joaquin Valley in California, extreme weather conditions are expected daily next week, impacting medical facilities and infrastructure.

A construction worker in Folsom, California, on July 3.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In Portland, Oregon, health officials are concerned about residents unaccustomed to hot weather, particularly those attending outdoor events this weekend. Temperatures in Death Valley may reach deadly limits, posing risks even to healthy individuals. Experts emphasize the importance of staying hydrated and cool to prevent heat-related illnesses.

Research on the physiological limits of heat exposure indicates that older adults may succumb to heatstroke within hours when exposed to extreme heat, even indoors or in the shade without air conditioning. As temperatures continue to rise, it’s crucial to take precautions and monitor vulnerable populations to prevent heat-related fatalities.

“Understanding the impact of heatwaves on our health is vital to mitigating the risks and protecting communities,” said Dr. Lisa Patel. Stay aware of local heat advisories and follow safety guidelines to stay safe during the ongoing heatwave.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Cooling fabric reduces heat transfer from pavements and buildings in urban areas with high temperatures

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A scorching hot day in Bucharest, Romania, June 2019

lcv / Alamy

In the future, city dwellers could beat the heat with clothes made from new fabrics that keep them cool.

Made from plastic material and silver nanowires, the fabric is designed to keep you cool in urban environments by using the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process in which objects radiate heat back into space.

The material selectively emits a narrow band of infrared light that allows it to escape the Earth’s atmosphere, while at the same time blocking radiation from the sun and from surrounding structures.

Jo Bo-jun, a researcher from the University of Chicago, Illinois, and his team say the material “is more than half [the radiation]” from buildings and the ground,” he says.

Some cooling fabrics and building materials already use this radiative cooling principle, but most of their designs don’t take into account radiation from the sun or infrared radiation from structures like buildings and pavements, and they assume the materials are oriented horizontally against the sky, like roof panels, rather than vertically like clothing worn by a person.

Such designs “work well when they face something cooler, like the sky or a field,” Su says, “but not when they face an urban heat island.”

Xu and his colleagues designed a three-layered fabric: the inner layer is made from common clothing fabrics like wool or cotton, and the middle layer is made up of silver nanowires that reflect most of the radiation.

The top layer is made of a plastic material called polymethylpentene, which does not absorb or reflect most wavelengths and emits a narrow band of infrared light.

In outdoor tests, the fabric remained 8.9°C (16°F) cooler than regular silk fabric and 2.3°C (4.1°F) cooler than a broad-spectrum radiation-emitting material. When tested against the skin, the fabric was 1.8°C (3.2°F) cooler than cotton fabric.

Su said this slight difference in temperature could theoretically increase the amount of time a person can comfortably be exposed to heat by up to a third, but that this has yet to be tested.

“It’s always been difficult to make this material practical as a fiber.” Aswath Raman, the UCLA researcher added that the study is a good example of applying the physical principles of radiative cooling to a practical material. Other materials with similar properties could also be used on vertical surfaces in buildings, he said.

Science
DOI: 10.1126/science.adl0653

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Lung Association finds that 131 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy pollution levels

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Nearly 40% of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the U.S. is set to regress in air-cleaning progress as the effects of climate change intensify, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. It’s coming. The group’s report, its 25th annual analysis of the nation’s “state of the air,” estimates that between 2020 and 2022, 131 million people will live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. It turned out that it was. This number is an increase of nearly 12 million people from the previous survey a year ago. The report also found that people in the United States are experiencing the most “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” air quality day in the study’s history. Katherine Pruitt, national senior director of clean air policy at the American Lung Association, said the process has been in place for decades through the Clean Air Act, a federal law passed in 1963 to regulate air pollution and set air quality standards. He said that the cleanup efforts that have been made are gradually being undermined by climate change.

“Climate change, including heat, drought and especially wildfires, is starting to undo some of the progress we’ve made,” Pruitt said. “It’s sad to know that so many people live with air quality that threatens their health.” Wildfires are a rapidly growing source of pollution that policymakers are struggling to address. Climate scientists predict that wildfire smoke will increase in the future as greenhouse gas emissions raise temperatures. The Lung Association’s analysis reached the same conclusion as a peer-reviewed study published last year in Nature. The study’s author, Marshall Burke, suggested that wildfire smoke has undone about 25% of the Clean Air Act’s progress.

“If you take a step back and think about what the root cause is, it’s the burning of fossil fuels,” says Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and clinical associate professor at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. “We don’t have to be in this situation. We have the technology and the federal investment to harness renewable energy. What we need now is the political will.”

Each year, the “State of the Air” report analyzes air quality data from the past three years. This analysis focuses on ozone exposure and short-term and annual exposure to particulate pollution. The report issues a rating for each measure and summarizes the number of areas that passed or failed for each rating. According to the report, nearly 44 million people currently live in areas that do not meet all three criteria.Small particles are a serious concern because they can enter a person’s lungs, circulate in the bloodstream, and affect other organs. Although these particles are only a fraction of the size of a human hair, they have been shown to increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer, chronic lung disease, premature birth, and miscarriage. Patel, who is also executive director of the Medical Societies Consortium on Climate and Health, has noticed an increase in preterm births during wildfire seasons and is educating parents about how heat and smoke are risk factors during pregnancy. He said he has started giving advice.

“After several weeks of poor air quality, more people will become pregnant and give birth before 37 weeks,” Patel said, adding that parents may wonder whether their actions led to premature birth. He added that he often thinks about this. “When people ask me about the risk of premature birth, I say climate change. Heat and wildfires are both risk factors. They are not within your control.” Additionally, Patel said she has noticed that when wildfire smoke incidents occur in California, patients at her pediatric clinic often complain of nasal infections, eye irritation, and asthma exacerbations, among other ailments. Pruitt said concerns about particle pollution used to be concentrated in the industrial Midwest and Northeast. But in this report, for the first time, all 25 cities with the highest daily particle pollution are in the West. Most were in California.

“Early in our history, we had a lot of particulate pollution coming from coal-fired power plants, transportation sources, and industrial processes,” Pruitt said. “Particle pollution problems in the eastern United States are less severe because the Clean Air Act has cleaned up these sources. But Western countries, of course, have similar access to regulation and cleanup; We are also affected by climate change and wildfires.” Daniel Mendoza, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, said many communities in Western states are dealing with acute, short-term pollution episodes rather than long-term chronic exposure. Scientists are still trying to figure out how much damage wildfire outbreaks cause compared to long-term exposure from industrial sources. “Not all bad air pollution is created equal,” Mendoza said. Pollution from traffic and industrial sources could continue to decline if the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed stricter standards could be implemented.

Last year, the EPA proposed a rule that would require nearly all coal and large gas plants in the country to reduce or capture about 90% of their carbon emissions by 2038. In March this year, the agency introduced stricter rules to reduce tailpipe emissions from passenger cars. Another EPA policy aimed at curbing nitrogen oxide pollution that spreads across states was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2022, the Supreme Court limited the government’s ability to use the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is one bright spot in this report. That means ozone pollution continues to improve dramatically. Compared to last year, about 2.4 million fewer people live in areas with unhealthy ozone pollution. Since this analysis was completed, wildfire smoke has gotten even worse.

Americans in 2023 inhaled more wildfire smoke than in any other year on record, Stanford University researchers found last year.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scented Traps Used for Removing Invasive Mink from Areas of England

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Mink are currently being spotted across the UK after escaping from fur farms or being released by animal activists

Roy Waller/Alamy

Wildlife conservation groups aim to eradicate the invasive American mink from all parts of the UK after removing it from parts of the country during a three-year trial. This includes a new approach that uses the odor of the mink's anal glands to lure them into clever traps, making it the first time in the world that the animals have been eradicated from a large area.

“Until about a month ago, we didn't think mink had been eradicated anywhere,” said association president Tony Martin. Waterlife Recovery Trust, organized the trial with volunteers. “Then we found reports of them being exterminated on a small island off the coast of Estonia, but nothing on this scale. This is an order of magnitude larger.”

Mink are small semi-aquatic predators related to weasels and are often farmed for their fur. Over the past century, the American mink (Neo Gale Vizon) is native to North America and has spread to many parts of Europe and South America.

There, the small European mink (Itachi Lutreola) Native to continental Europe.

Mr Martin said the idea of ​​eradicating mink was previously considered completely unbelievable and attributed the success of the Waterlife Recovery Trust's attempt to two innovations. First, they use traps equipped with devices that detect when something is caught and alert the volunteer in charge. “This means you don't have to go to the traps every day,” Martin says.

This is especially important at the end of eradication efforts, he says, when mink may not be captured for months and volunteers are tired of checking traps every day. It is also more humane because traps are readily available and mink can be killed immediately.

The second innovation is the use of scent harvested from the anal glands of captive mink as bait. This makes the trap more attractive to mink and less likely to catch other animals.

In 2020, around 500 traps were set in an area of ​​6,000 square kilometers covering most of East Anglia. Currently, only traps on the border between the test area and other areas where mink still exist are capturing mink, Martin said. On January 15, the Waterlife Recovery Trust announced that its trials were successful in eradicating mink from designated areas.

The trust has already been given £500,000 by government agency Natural England to expand its eradication efforts to wider areas of the country, with the aim of eradicating mink from across the UK.

“We now know we can do this,” said Martin, who previously led a successful effort to eradicate rats from South Georgia. How long it takes depends on how many traps you can set, he says.

The same approach would work in continental Europe and South America, he says. “With proper planning, any size can work.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com