Summer is in full force, and this week the heat is the story. From the wildfires scorching the Western USA and sending smoke across half the country, to the dangerous heat dome that made this one of the most brutal July 4th weekends in recent memory. Before you scroll through this week’s links, please take a moment to check the heat safety information on this site. It could save your life or someone else’s. The US Drought Monitor update is in the post, severe weather season isn’t finished, and your NOAA Weather Radio should still be within reach. This week’s links range from a practical guide to staying safe in extreme heat on vacation, to a Mars rover that may finally answer one of humanity’s oldest questions. Settle in for a while and happy reading.
- Rovers on the planet Mars have been testing soil, the Martian atmosphere, and much more. Could one of these rovers find out something about the possibility of life on our solar system neighbor?
- Turning your AC completely off while you’re at work feels like the smart money move. Experts say it can actually cost you more in the long run, and the reason depends on where you live.
- Vacation mode is exactly when heat becomes most dangerous. People push through warning signs they’d never ignore at home, and experts say that is a serious mistake.
- This read takes a look at how our planet could avoid a global drought.
- Researchers warn that a seemingly straightforward solution to global warming could silently disrupt El Niño in ways we’re only beginning to understand.
- As a devastating super El Niño approaches, Africa holds answers the world desperately needs, but it’s time outsiders stopped treating the continent as a crisis to solve rather than a teacher to learn from.
- Climate models have been missing something significant. The planet itself is starting to add emissions on top of ours, and scientists are only now racing to account for it.
- This summer’s record-shattering European heatwave has left behind a body count buried beneath incomplete records. Researchers are racing to uncover what really happened.
- The wildfires burning across several Western USA states right now aren’t staying out West. The smoke is spreading far and wide, and millions of Americans who’ve never seen a flame are breathing it.
THE INVISIBLE STORM
SEVERE WEATHER AND TORNADO SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS
NOAA WEATHER RADIO
Here’s your weekly reminder to check your NOAA weather radio’s batteries, programming, settings, and reception. NOAA has a comprehensive page on NOAA weather radio…a feature of the National weather Service in the USA that has saved countless lives.
US DROUGHT MONITOR
The drought picture shifted in opposite directions this week depending on where you live. Heavy rain brought real relief to parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the New York City area, while the West stayed stubbornly dry with worsening drought in the Northwest, Wyoming, and Colorado. Puerto Rico saw drought expand, with severe drought spreading along its southern coast.
Looking ahead, the West stays dry through mid-July with little relief in sight. The best chance for meaningful rain falls across the Gulf Coast states, the Carolinas, and parts of the central Plains. The bigger story for the next week is heat. Dangerously above-normal temperatures are expected across the northern Plains and West, with warmer-than-normal conditions blanketing most of the rest of the country. If you’re in the northern Great Plains or the interior West, this coming week deserves your full attention. See The Invisible Storm for a plethora of heat safety information.
- NOAA’s US Drought Monitor website has the full regional details.
- The latest daily fire weather outlooks can be found at the Storm Prediction Center’s website.
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Citizen science lets everyday people actively shape real research by sharing observations and data. Join now to make a tangible impact, discover new insights, and become part of a global community driving scientific breakthroughs!
- The CoCoRaHS project invites weather enthusiasts to become citizen scientists by submitting daily precipitation reports that support forecasting and climate research even on dry days.
- Another path into becoming a citizen scientist is using the free mPING app! Your weather reports go directly to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma!
That’s a wrap for this week! Thanks for stopping by! See you next Saturday!
™ Tornado Quest © 1998‑2026 Tornado Quest, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
TORNADO QUEST 
You must be logged in to post a comment.