Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms - Roundup of Tropical Storms:

Tropical storm Karina is located about 1415 mi...2275 km E of Hilo Hawaii.

Tropical Storm Lowell is located about 705 mi...1135 km WSW of the southern tip of Baja California. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Tornado Swarms More Frequent Under Warming

Florida researchers say they have found a possible link between the strength and frequency of tornadoes in the United States and the magnitude of climate change.

Writing in the journal Climate Dynamics, Florida State geography professor James Elsner says that while the chance of a tornado forming each day has gone down under global warming, when twisters do form on a given day, there are more of them.

Elsner points out that there were 187 days with tornadoes during 1971, and only 79 in 2013.

But he says that a closer look at the data shows a greater severity in tornadic storms on a given day than before climate change accelerated under the influence of greenhouse gas emissions in the late 20th century.

Elsner adds that at least “Tornado Alley” doesn’t appear to be growing in size.

So far this year, there have been 189 tornadoes with a death toll of 43, according to the NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.