Heat Wave sweeps the nation

Bike-Riding-weather

Important Takeaways:

  • Midwest and East Coast set to see the mercury soar 20 to 40 degrees above average as February ends with record-smashing warmth as low-pressure system sweeps across the U.S.
  • February is on track to rank among the warmest on record in various cities across the U.S., particularly in the Midwest and the East Coast
  • Temperatures are expected to soar 20-40 degrees above average in what is usually one of the coldest months of the year, potentially setting new records
  • By Wednesday, warmth will reach the East Coast, with Philadelphia and New York City expected to see temperatures in the 60s
  • Temperatures reached into the 60s in Denver, Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday, and Kansas City, Missouri, saw temperatures in the mid-70s.
  • Dallas might even approach 90 degrees, a high usually reached in only starting late April, while areas near the Mexico border might even experience triple-digit temperatures.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Researchers revise outlook for above-average hurricane season

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Researchers from Colorado State University boosted their prediction for named tropical storms in the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season in a revised forecast issued on Thursday.

Colorado State meteorologists predicted 20 named storms, up from 17 in their forecast issued in April.

The forecasters also increased the number of expected hurricanes to nine from eight.

Colorado State continues to expect four major hurricanes.

The total number of forecast named storms includes the five named storms so far in 2021. The season’s first hurricane, Elsa came ashore on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.

“Elsa’s development and intensification into a hurricane in the tropical Atlantic also typically portends an active season,” the report said. “We anticipate an above-normal probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.”

This year is forecast to be the sixth straight above-average U.S. Atlantic hurricane season. The record 2020 season had 30 named storms.

The revised Colorado State forecast is in line with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) outlook issued in late May.

NOAA forecasters called for between three and five major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour in 2021.

NOAA also forecasts between six and 10 hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph to form out of between 13 and 20 named tropical storms with winds of at least 39 mph.

An average hurricane season in the Atlantic between 1991 and 2020 saw three major hurricanes, seven hurricanes and 14 tropical storms.

The hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.

The Colorado State forecast also said there is a 68% chance at least one major hurricane will strike the U.S. coast. The average for the 20th century is 52%.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by David Gregorio)