The most densely populated area affected, Phoenix, Arizona, won't even see relief at night. With daytime temps expected to hit the mid- to upper 110s this weekend, overnight and early morning lows are only forecast to drop into the low 90s through early next week.
The lack of nighttime cooling pokes a serious hole in most heat-safety advice. Typically, health experts recommend limiting outdoor activity to the early morning and evening when temperatures are lower. But when temperatures don't cool off at night, not only do heat-related health risks remain around the clock, but also a new set of health threats pop up because of urban heat islands.
"Asphalt and concrete store heat longer and slowly release heat at night, leading to higher overnight and early morning temperatures. This can reduce nighttime relief from extreme heat in a large city." In 1995, a severe heat wave killed 465 people in Chicago and an additional 85 people in Milwaukee. In this extreme weather episode, part of the danger came from humid nights that offered no relief from the heat. High dew points, a direct measure of the moisture content in the air, were extraordinarily high three nights in a row. That, coupled with a high relative humidity (well above 90 percent) "added substantially to the already considerable human stress implied by the high average observed temperatures."
what you dream or wish or hope for.
You become what you believe.**
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday -
6/27/13 -
5.0 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.1 SOUTHWEST INDIAN RIDGE
5.7 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
Alaska - Experts baffled at Pavlof Volcano's power and renewed vigor.Pavlof is now releasing both lava and far-reaching ash. Wednesday, June 26, the volcano in Alaska was releasing both lava and far-reaching ash. What’s more, geologists and experts are baffled as to why the sudden surge is the strongest yet in the volcano’s eruptive cycle. The high levels of ash are sifting onto a town below and interfering with flights to and from the Alaskan town.
Pavlof Volcano is located several hundred miles north of Anchorage. The ash-spewing eruptions began late on Monday and were expected to continue at potent levels into the week. Smaller planes that travel to and from Anchorage have been forced to be rerouted or fly around the sifting ash in the air. The town affected by all of the ash from the volcano is King Cove, home to 900 people and nearly 30 miles southwest of Pavlof Volcano.
Alaska Volcanoes Spewing Ash and Lava With Intense New Seismic Activity - The volcanoes began with minor eruptions weeks ago and are now showing more intense seismic activity. On Tuesday, the Alaska Volcano Observatory warned of more vigorous activity to come, which will likely mean more ash. There is some lava flowing.
Veniaminof Volcano, about 60 miles from Pavlof, has continued showing activity since early June. Pavlof has been erupting since early May. Its activity has waxed and waned over the past few months, but is now showing signs of more activity and has started shaking, and ash has risen at least 28,000 feet high. "It's a pretty good size, but not high enough to affect overflying aircraft between America and Asia. It's more of a problem for local aviation."
Nearby Veniaminof, a broad mountain topped with a large, flat ice field, began erupting on June 13, producing a lava flow and an ash plume, though not as high as Pavlof's at about 8,200 feet, but they are still intense. "For some reason we can't explain, it picked up in intensity and vigor," noted one geologist.
"So far there's been trace amounts of ash, so it's just a fine coating." The main hazard right now is ash fall. "Our best estimate of what is going to happen is similar to what's happened in the past - this level of activity and some level of ash." Scientists say the eruptions of both volcanoes are unrelated. A third, more remote volcano, Cleveland Volcano, 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, has begun and on-and-off eruption phase since 2011, but has not produced an explosive eruption since May 6.
Russia - Erupting Volcano Blankets Kamchatka Villages in Ash. An ash cloud from the erupting Shiveluch volcano is spreading over the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East covering several local villages in ash and disrupting local aviation services on Thursday.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the Eastern Pacific -
Post-Tropical storm Cosme was located about 825 mi (1330 km) W of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Cosme has degenerated to a remnant area of low pressure. The final advisory has been issued on this system.
In the Western Pacific -
Tropical Depression Six was located approximately 299 nm northwestward of Sonsorol, Palau, Micronesia.
Philippines - new potential cyclone off Mindanao. State weather forecasters are now tracking a potential cyclone, a low pressure area, which was spotted east of Mindanao as of Wednesday afternoon. Tropical depression Six may spin up as early as Friday, potentially leading to a landfalling tropical storm before the end of the week. Flooding rain would be the most likely adverse weather impact.
Tropical Storm Cosme weakened over cold Pacific waters - Cosme weakened over colder waters in the Pacific Ocean Wednesday as it moved away from the west coast of Mexico. In the Atlantic, all is quiet with no development expected over the next couple of days.
Tropical Storm Bebinca Doused South China and Vietnam - The disorganized circulation of Tropical Storm Bebinca spun into Vietnam on Sunday. Bebinca drenched South China's island province of Hainan with more than 12 inches of rainfall before losing force over far northern Vietnam.
HEALTH THREATS -
RECALLS & ALERTS
Scenic Fruit Company Recalls Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels, based on an ongoing epidemiological and traceback investigation by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control of an illness outbreak, the kernels have the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus.
