Greetings to everyone! I hope this week’s post finds you happy, healthy and the weather is to your liking wherever you are. Across much of the western contiguous USA, drought conditions conditions to worsen. The climatological peak of the severe weather and tornado season has arrived across the North American great plains. If you’d like a detailed review of tornado and severe weather safety, please review posts from March and April as these have a plethora of severe weather, tornado, and flooding safety information. It’s also important to remember that the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1. In two weeks, we’ll take a look at hurricane safety. This week, there are many good science reads to review, so let’s get started.

• Finding a location with exceptionally dark night skies is not easy in today’s world. Fortunately, there are the Canary Islands.
• Pollution from plastics is a problem that won’t go away easily. “World to waste one trillion more plastic bottles and bags by 2025 as production ramps up.”
• Startling imagery here with a view of the world’s largest iceberg breaking off an ice shelf.
• Wildfires that we are familiar with are hazardous enough. Here’s an interesting read on ‘zombie fires’ that can linger even under winter snow.
• This comes as no surprise. “Climate change to blame for $8 billion of Hurricane Sandy damages.” Sandy destroyed half a million homes, killed 159 people, & caused $62.5 billion in damages.
• Yet another example of the ravages that result from climate change. This new study, released by NOAA, shows how droughts are intensified and lengthened by greenhouse aerosol and gas emissions.
• The annual Atlantic hurricane season outlook has just been released by NOAA. A busier than normal tropical cyclone season is predicted.

A TORNADO SAFETY REMINDER

PREPARING A SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY KIT FOR HOME, VEHICLE, AND WORK

This handy checklist from the American Red Cross will help you put together an emergency kit for a variety of weather scenarios. A kit like this is very helpful in a variety of other difficult scenarios from wildfires to blizzards to tornadoes and hurricanes.

Where you get your weather forecasts, warnings, and other important information is as important as being informed. Discretion is of the upmost importance when you’re trying to stay weather aware. As of late, it’s been brought to my attention that there have been amateur ‘forecasters’ using graphics with the intention of appearing as professional and official sources of information on Twitter, Facebook, et al. They should NOT be taken as official sources of potentially life-saving warnings and weather forecasts and updates.

Social media is a very useful tool that can be misused for misinformation, disinformation, and hype. While this infographic is geared towards, winter weather, it certainly applies to ALL types of weather year round.

That’s a wrap for this post! As I mentioned in the introduction, if you’d like a detailed review of tornado and severe weather safety, please review the previous posts for further details. Starting 5 June 2021, we’ll take a look at hurricane preparedness. I’d like to extend a big ‘Thank You’ to my followers in social media. I’m glad you’re along for the fun! If you’re on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, let’s connect! As for the COVID-19 pandemic, sport a spiffy mask, practice good hand-washing hygiene, mind your social distancing, stay safe, and stay healthy!

See you next Saturday!

Media inquiries: tornadoquest@protonmail.ch

Please note: queries regarding promotions, marketing schemes, prizes, or papers that have not been under & approved by scientific peer review WILL NOT be accepted.

Copyright © 1998 – 2021 Tornado Quest, LLC