Category: Weather Nerd

James Webb telescope appears to picture spinning wormhole in ‘Phantom Galaxy’

NASA’s latest deep-space telescope continues to shock astronomers and amateurs with jaw-dropping new images captured from the outer reaches of the cosmos. The James Webb Space Telescope appears to have pictured a wormhole spinning in the “Phantom Galaxy,” a place whose very center scientists believe may contain a black hole. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years […]

What Causes a Wildfire to “Explode?”

Helicopter in silhouette dropping water on raging wildfire

On Saturday, weather broadcasters repeatedly referred to a wildfire near Yosemite National Park in California as having “exploded” overnight, going from 10 acres to 5,000 in a matter of hours, with zero percent containment.  Which begs the question, what makes a wildfire “explode?” All it really takes is a spark to start a fire.  A […]

During 2022’s Global Summer Heat Wave, It May Be Helpful to Know How People Used to Cool Down Before the Advent of AC

thermostat temp gauge in front of blazing sun in the sky

As summer heat builds, more people will rely on air conditioning units to keep cool. But what do you do if you don’t have central AC?  A lot of people don’t.  In fact, in places like England, France, Coastal Communities, and in locations where adding a costly AC unit has never really been necessary before, […]

The UK Breaks All Time Heat Record, Fueling an Outbreak of House Fires in London & Shutting Down Transportation

AccuWeather reports that a new all-time record high was set in the United Kingdom Tuesday, and the brutally hot weather helped exacerbate a growing outbreak of house fires across London. The London Fire Brigade was forced to declare a major incident Tuesday in response to a huge surge of fires across the capital. The fire brigade […]

Western Europe is Enduring an Unprecedented “Apocalypse of Heat”

thermostat temp gauge in front of blazing sun in the sky

An unprecedented heat wave in France that has scorched the country, leading to raging wildfires, dragged on Monday with all-time high temperatures of nearly 108 degrees Fahrenheit recorded in some parts. As AccuWeather reports, Météo-France, the country’s national weather agency, reported over a dozen record-smashing highs Monday, including a reading of 107.6 F (42 degrees […]

We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat: “Marine Heat Wave” is “Ideal” for Sharks on the East Coast

As AccuWeather reports, a spate of shark sightings off the coast of New England that started in May, including one so dramatic that video caught onlookers screaming, kicked off an earlier season than expected. July is typically when the large predators arrive along the shoreline. And right on cue, as the height of the season […]

NASA Reveals first James Webb Telescope Images of Deep Space

President Joe Biden unveiled the first full-color image from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Monday, an image that borders on the line between science and science-fiction as it is one of the deepest and highest-resolution views of the universe ever captured. NASA followed this up on Tuesday with more mind-boggling photos from the […]

Are You Prepared for a Weather Emergency? 15 Things to Pack in Your ‘Go’ Bag

Hand checks off Emergency Preparedness Kit items

Summer storms – thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods – are no joke.  When disaster strikes, you want to be ready. Government agencies and the Natural Resources Defense Council recommend having a “Go Bag” ready so that at a moment’s notice you can throw it in the car and hit the evacuation routes. Whether you choose […]

What is a Tropical Wave, and How it can Affect You

The term “tropical wave” is one that comes up time and time again during the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons. As AccuWeather reports, tropical waves happen most often over the ocean, but the term “wave” is atmospheric in nature and does not refer to undulations occurring in the ocean water. According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist […]

July is a month of Transition for Hurricane Season

Atlantic hurricane season is usually still slow in July, but there is a slight uptick in activity and the areas of potential development begin to expand farther east into the Atlantic Ocean. Major hurricanes – Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale – in July are rare. Since 1950, only four major hurricanes have […]