Thursday, January 31, 2013
ODOT crews prepare for wintry weather
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Rain, high winds knock out power in U.S. Northeast
CONWAY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Rain and high winds lashed U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic states early on Thursday, knocking out power to more than 330,000 homes and businesses as they braced for a coming snowstorm.
Gusty winds of up to 77 miles per hour battered parts of New England and a high-wind advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. for northern Connecticut, most of Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire, the National Weather Service said.
Thunderstorms rolled across the Northeast early on Thursday morning, toppling trees and downing utility lines. Among the hardest hit areas were Connecticut, where about 71,000 customers had no electricity; Long Island, with about 34,000 customers out; and New Jersey, where about 27,000 customers were without power, according to utility reports.
Heavy rainfall caused several dams in Carroll County, Virginia, to overflow after 'river flow increased a multiple of 10 times in just 12 hours,' said a statement released by Appalachian Power.
The state of Vermont warned residents on Thursday to brace for flash flooding from the storm, with heavy rains causing ice jams in rivers. Residents of low-lying areas were advised to seek higher ground immediately if water began to rise on local rivers.
Raging winds tore the roof off of an elementary school in Fall River, Massachusetts, sending bricks and other debris crashing to the street below, local media reported. A large section of the roof of another elementary school, this one in Raynham, south of Boston, also was blown off, with some debris landing across the street. No one was reported injured.
Early morning bursts of wind and rain also caused traffic accidents. In Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, a teenage girl crossing the street to board a school bus was seriously injured after being hit by a car in what police called a weather-related crash, local media said. In Boston, a toppled tree fell on an ambulance on its way to pick up a patient. No injuries were reported.
From Friday through the weekend, a series of storms threatens to dump snow from the Midwest to New England and the mid-Atlantic, according to meteorologist Alex Sosnowski on Accuweather.com. Slick conditions could snarl the Friday morning commute to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, he said.
(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Bob Burgdorfer)
Gusty winds of up to 77 miles per hour battered parts of New England and a high-wind advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. for northern Connecticut, most of Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire, the National Weather Service said.
Thunderstorms rolled across the Northeast early on Thursday morning, toppling trees and downing utility lines. Among the hardest hit areas were Connecticut, where about 71,000 customers had no electricity; Long Island, with about 34,000 customers out; and New Jersey, where about 27,000 customers were without power, according to utility reports.
Heavy rainfall caused several dams in Carroll County, Virginia, to overflow after 'river flow increased a multiple of 10 times in just 12 hours,' said a statement released by Appalachian Power.
The state of Vermont warned residents on Thursday to brace for flash flooding from the storm, with heavy rains causing ice jams in rivers. Residents of low-lying areas were advised to seek higher ground immediately if water began to rise on local rivers.
Raging winds tore the roof off of an elementary school in Fall River, Massachusetts, sending bricks and other debris crashing to the street below, local media reported. A large section of the roof of another elementary school, this one in Raynham, south of Boston, also was blown off, with some debris landing across the street. No one was reported injured.
Early morning bursts of wind and rain also caused traffic accidents. In Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, a teenage girl crossing the street to board a school bus was seriously injured after being hit by a car in what police called a weather-related crash, local media said. In Boston, a toppled tree fell on an ambulance on its way to pick up a patient. No injuries were reported.
From Friday through the weekend, a series of storms threatens to dump snow from the Midwest to New England and the mid-Atlantic, according to meteorologist Alex Sosnowski on Accuweather.com. Slick conditions could snarl the Friday morning commute to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, he said.
(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Bob Burgdorfer)
UN says unable to verify Syria complaint about Israeli planes
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. peacekeepers in a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel were unable to verify a Syrian complaint that Israeli planes had flown over the Golan Heights area, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday.
'UNDOF (the peacekeeping mission) did not observe any planes flying over the area of separation and therefore was not able to confirm the incident. UNDOF also reported bad weather conditions,' U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)
'UNDOF (the peacekeeping mission) did not observe any planes flying over the area of separation and therefore was not able to confirm the incident. UNDOF also reported bad weather conditions,' U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Power outages in U.S. Northeast after blustery rainstorm
CONWAY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Rain and high winds lashed U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic states early Thursday, knocking out power to more than 330,000 homes and businesses bracing for a coming snowstorm.
Gusty winds of up to 77 miles per hour battered parts of New England and a high wind advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. for northern Connecticut, most of Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire, the National Weather Service said.
Thunderstorms rolled across the Northeast early on Thursday morning, toppling trees and downing utility lines. Among the hardest hit areas were Connecticut, where about 71,000 customers had no electricity, Long Island, with about 34,000 customers out, and New Jersey, where about 27,000 customers were without power, according to utility reports.
Raging winds tore the roof off of an elementary school in Fall River, Massachusetts, sending bricks and other debris crashing to the street below, local media reported. A large section of the roof of another elementary school, this one in Raynham, south of Boston, also was blown off, with some debris landing across the street. No one was reported injured.
Early morning bursts of wind and rain also caused traffic accidents. In Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, a teenage girl crossing the street to board a school bus was seriously injured after being hit by a car in what police called a weather-related crash, local media said. In Boston, a toppled tree fell on an ambulance on its way to pick up a patient. No injuries were reported.
From Friday through the weekend, a series of storms threatens to dump snow from the Midwest to New England and the mid-Atlantic, according to meteorologist Alex Sosnowski on Accuweather.com. Slick conditions could snarl the Friday morning commute to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, he said.
(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Gusty winds of up to 77 miles per hour battered parts of New England and a high wind advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. for northern Connecticut, most of Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire, the National Weather Service said.
Thunderstorms rolled across the Northeast early on Thursday morning, toppling trees and downing utility lines. Among the hardest hit areas were Connecticut, where about 71,000 customers had no electricity, Long Island, with about 34,000 customers out, and New Jersey, where about 27,000 customers were without power, according to utility reports.
Raging winds tore the roof off of an elementary school in Fall River, Massachusetts, sending bricks and other debris crashing to the street below, local media reported. A large section of the roof of another elementary school, this one in Raynham, south of Boston, also was blown off, with some debris landing across the street. No one was reported injured.
Early morning bursts of wind and rain also caused traffic accidents. In Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, a teenage girl crossing the street to board a school bus was seriously injured after being hit by a car in what police called a weather-related crash, local media said. In Boston, a toppled tree fell on an ambulance on its way to pick up a patient. No injuries were reported.
From Friday through the weekend, a series of storms threatens to dump snow from the Midwest to New England and the mid-Atlantic, according to meteorologist Alex Sosnowski on Accuweather.com. Slick conditions could snarl the Friday morning commute to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, he said.
(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
German unemployment sees seasonal rise in January
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's unemployment rate increased to 7.4 percent in January as the country was hit by harsh winter weather, but seasonally adjusted jobless figures dropped unexpectedly and analysts said Thursday that the job market in Europe's biggest economy remains solid.
The number of Germans registered as unemployed stood at 3.14 million, 298,000 higher than in December and 54,000 more than a year earlier, the Federal Labor Agency said.
The head of the agency, Frank-Juergen Weise, said the increase was down to 'purely seasonal reasons.' Harsh weather typically weighs on industries such as construction in winter.
Adjusted for seasonal factors, the jobless rate slipped to 6.8 percent from 6.9 percent, where it had stood for three months. The number of people out of work was down 16,000 from December - compared with economists' expectations that it would rise by 8,000.
'Today's numbers confirm that the German job miracle has lost some of its magic,' said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING in Brussels. 'However, even without being miraculous, the labor market should remain growth-supportive.'
The solid employment report underlines rising hopes that the German economy will quickly recover from a weak patch and benefit from an easing in Europe's financial turmoil.
The German economy grew a modest 0.7 percent last year, and officials estimate it shrank by as much as 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous three-month period. But the central bank says improving hopes for the country's export performance, combined with a stable labor market, point to a pick-up in the economy.
Timo Klein, an economist at IHS Global Insight in Frankfurt, said the debt crisis in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro remains 'important as a risk factor' but 'should not be much of a burden in the next several months at least.'
Retail sales figures released Thursday were less satisfying, however. The Federal Statistical Office reported that, adjusted for inflation, sales were down 0.3 percent in 2012 compared with the previous year. In December, sales were 1.7 percent lower than the previous month.
The number of Germans registered as unemployed stood at 3.14 million, 298,000 higher than in December and 54,000 more than a year earlier, the Federal Labor Agency said.
The head of the agency, Frank-Juergen Weise, said the increase was down to 'purely seasonal reasons.' Harsh weather typically weighs on industries such as construction in winter.
Adjusted for seasonal factors, the jobless rate slipped to 6.8 percent from 6.9 percent, where it had stood for three months. The number of people out of work was down 16,000 from December - compared with economists' expectations that it would rise by 8,000.
'Today's numbers confirm that the German job miracle has lost some of its magic,' said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING in Brussels. 'However, even without being miraculous, the labor market should remain growth-supportive.'
The solid employment report underlines rising hopes that the German economy will quickly recover from a weak patch and benefit from an easing in Europe's financial turmoil.
The German economy grew a modest 0.7 percent last year, and officials estimate it shrank by as much as 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous three-month period. But the central bank says improving hopes for the country's export performance, combined with a stable labor market, point to a pick-up in the economy.
Timo Klein, an economist at IHS Global Insight in Frankfurt, said the debt crisis in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro remains 'important as a risk factor' but 'should not be much of a burden in the next several months at least.'
Retail sales figures released Thursday were less satisfying, however. The Federal Statistical Office reported that, adjusted for inflation, sales were down 0.3 percent in 2012 compared with the previous year. In December, sales were 1.7 percent lower than the previous month.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wild Weather On The Way
s:fb='http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml' xmlns:addthis='http://www.addthis.com/help/api-spec' > Wild Weather On The Way « CBS Philly
Tornadoes rip central, southeast U.S., at least two dead
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tornadoes ripped through four states on Tuesday night and Wednesday, killing at least two people, as an Arctic cold front clashed with warm air to produce severe weather over a wide swath of the nation.
Tornadoes were reported in Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee, an unusual development in January when the focus is more likely to be on snow and ice.
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas. Three twisters were confirmed in Tennessee and a possible tornado hit southeastern Arkansas.
In Georgia, a man was killed when a tornado hit his mobile home late Wednesday morning, said Bartow County administrator Pete Olson.
In north Nashville, a man died when a tree fell on his garage apartment, according to Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
'We have trees down all over the place,' said Brittney Coleman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
The same storm system is moving eastward, bringing a risk of severe weather from the upper Ohio Valley south to the central Gulf Coast and east to the Mid-Atlantic and southeast coast, according to the National Weather Service. Damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and more tornadoes are possible.
Behind the severe weather, the Arctic front brought snowfall to the central Plains, where many schools were closed and driving was hazardous across eastern Nebraska.
Wisconsin was getting snow Wednesday afternoon, with up to 6 inches in Madison, according to Accuweather.com. Temperatures were expected to plunge below freezing in Chicago, after hitting a record on Tuesday of 63 degrees (about 17 degrees Celsius).
In Tennessee, which declared a state of emergency, buildings and homes were damaged by the storm that cut a 4.6 mile-long path that was 150 yards wide through the center of Mt. Juliet, about 20 miles east of Nashville.
In Indiana, about 11,900 customers in center of the state were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
In north Georgia, a portion of Interstate 75 was closed in both directions near exit 306 due to storm damage, said Jill Goldberg, spokeswoman for the state's department of transportation.
Power outages and damaged homes were reported in at least 10 counties in Mississippi, mostly in the northern part of the state.
In Arkansas, there were numerous reports of roof damage, downed trees and power lines, and destroyed barns. A tornado may have hit Monticello, in the southeastern part of the state, authorities said.
At the University of Arkansas at Monticello, a horse barn was blown off its foundation across a parking area, damaging livestock trailers, according to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. Several fires were started from lightning strikes.
The storms Wednesday will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Tim Ghianni in Tennessee, Suzi Parker in Arkansas, David Beasley in Atlanta, Emily Le Coz in Mississippi; Writing by Barbara Goldberg and Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, David Gregorio and Nick Zieminski)
Tornadoes were reported in Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee, an unusual development in January when the focus is more likely to be on snow and ice.
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas. Three twisters were confirmed in Tennessee and a possible tornado hit southeastern Arkansas.
In Georgia, a man was killed when a tornado hit his mobile home late Wednesday morning, said Bartow County administrator Pete Olson.
In north Nashville, a man died when a tree fell on his garage apartment, according to Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
'We have trees down all over the place,' said Brittney Coleman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
The same storm system is moving eastward, bringing a risk of severe weather from the upper Ohio Valley south to the central Gulf Coast and east to the Mid-Atlantic and southeast coast, according to the National Weather Service. Damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and more tornadoes are possible.
Behind the severe weather, the Arctic front brought snowfall to the central Plains, where many schools were closed and driving was hazardous across eastern Nebraska.
Wisconsin was getting snow Wednesday afternoon, with up to 6 inches in Madison, according to Accuweather.com. Temperatures were expected to plunge below freezing in Chicago, after hitting a record on Tuesday of 63 degrees (about 17 degrees Celsius).
In Tennessee, which declared a state of emergency, buildings and homes were damaged by the storm that cut a 4.6 mile-long path that was 150 yards wide through the center of Mt. Juliet, about 20 miles east of Nashville.
In Indiana, about 11,900 customers in center of the state were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
In north Georgia, a portion of Interstate 75 was closed in both directions near exit 306 due to storm damage, said Jill Goldberg, spokeswoman for the state's department of transportation.
Power outages and damaged homes were reported in at least 10 counties in Mississippi, mostly in the northern part of the state.
In Arkansas, there were numerous reports of roof damage, downed trees and power lines, and destroyed barns. A tornado may have hit Monticello, in the southeastern part of the state, authorities said.
At the University of Arkansas at Monticello, a horse barn was blown off its foundation across a parking area, damaging livestock trailers, according to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. Several fires were started from lightning strikes.
The storms Wednesday will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Tim Ghianni in Tennessee, Suzi Parker in Arkansas, David Beasley in Atlanta, Emily Le Coz in Mississippi; Writing by Barbara Goldberg and Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, David Gregorio and Nick Zieminski)
Tornadoes rip central, southeast U.S., at least one dead
(Reuters) - Severe weather hit the central and southeast United States on Wednesday, with tornadoes ripping through Mississippi, Indiana and Tennessee, killing at least one person.
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas. At least one tornado was reported in the mid-section of Tennessee.
In north Nashville, a man died when a tree fell on his garage apartment, according to Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
'We have trees down all over the place,' said Brittney Coleman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
Buildings and homes in nearby suburbs were damaged by the storm that cut a 4.6 mile-long path that was 150 yards wide through the center of Mt. Juliet, about 20 miles east of Nashville.
In Indiana, about 11,900 customers in center of the state were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
Power outages and damaged homes were reported in at least 10 counties in Mississippi, mostly in the northern part of the state.
Forecasters said the violent weather was expected to barrel east throughout the day, bringing with it damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and possibly more tornadoes.
The storms will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Tim Ghianni in Tennessee, Emily Le Coz in Mississippi; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Maureen Bavdek and David Gregorio)
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas. At least one tornado was reported in the mid-section of Tennessee.
In north Nashville, a man died when a tree fell on his garage apartment, according to Jeremy Heidt, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
'We have trees down all over the place,' said Brittney Coleman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
Buildings and homes in nearby suburbs were damaged by the storm that cut a 4.6 mile-long path that was 150 yards wide through the center of Mt. Juliet, about 20 miles east of Nashville.
In Indiana, about 11,900 customers in center of the state were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
Power outages and damaged homes were reported in at least 10 counties in Mississippi, mostly in the northern part of the state.
Forecasters said the violent weather was expected to barrel east throughout the day, bringing with it damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and possibly more tornadoes.
The storms will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Tim Ghianni in Tennessee, Emily Le Coz in Mississippi; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Maureen Bavdek and David Gregorio)
Twisters in Mississippi, Indiana, more forecast through Wednesday
(Reuters) - Severe weather hit the central and southeast United States on Wednesday, with tornadoes ripping through Mississippi and Indiana and strong winds toppling trees in Tennessee.
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas.
About 11,900 customers in central Indiana were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
Several counties in Tennessee reported possible tornadoes overnight, but damage appeared to be minimal early on Wednesday, according to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt.
Local officials reported spotty power outages, minor flooding in low-lying areas and some toppled trees and power lines. There were no confirmed storm-related deaths or injuries, Heidt said.
Forecaster said the violent weather was expected to barrel east throughout the day, bringing with it damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and possibly more tornadoes.
The storms will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Colleen Jenkins in North Carolina, and Greg McCune in Illinois; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)
The National Weather Service said twisters touched down in Sardis, Mississippi, and heavily damaged homes in Solsberry, Indiana, wiping out power in the surrounding areas.
About 11,900 customers in central Indiana were without electricity because of the storm, utilities said.
Piles of debris and downed power lines blocked roadways in Indiana, including State Road 45 in southwestern Monroe County and State Road 43, which was closed from Solsberry to Hendricksville.
Several counties in Tennessee reported possible tornadoes overnight, but damage appeared to be minimal early on Wednesday, according to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt.
Local officials reported spotty power outages, minor flooding in low-lying areas and some toppled trees and power lines. There were no confirmed storm-related deaths or injuries, Heidt said.
Forecaster said the violent weather was expected to barrel east throughout the day, bringing with it damaging winds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h), hail and possibly more tornadoes.
The storms will drive down the morning's warmer temperatures with chillier air following in their wake, said meteorologist Dan Depodwin on Accuweather.com.
(Reporting by Susan Guyett in Indiana, Colleen Jenkins in North Carolina, and Greg McCune in Illinois; Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)
Severe storms pummel central US, Southern states
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A large storm system packing high winds, thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes is continuing its sweep across several Southern and central U.S. states.
Emergency management officials say the large storm front blacked out thousands in Arkansas and has caused scattered power outages in northern Mississippi. At least one person was reported injured by lightning in Arkansas.
Jeff Rent at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency urged residents to be on guard for severe thunderstorms, high winds and possible twisters. Tennessee and other states also were on guard Wednesday.
Rent says some houses have been damaged and trees and power lines felled as the brunt of the storm was felt in four Mississippi counties overnight. The storm is set to sweep toward the Eastern seaboard in coming hours.
Emergency management officials say the large storm front blacked out thousands in Arkansas and has caused scattered power outages in northern Mississippi. At least one person was reported injured by lightning in Arkansas.
Jeff Rent at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency urged residents to be on guard for severe thunderstorms, high winds and possible twisters. Tennessee and other states also were on guard Wednesday.
Rent says some houses have been damaged and trees and power lines felled as the brunt of the storm was felt in four Mississippi counties overnight. The storm is set to sweep toward the Eastern seaboard in coming hours.
Energy-Guzzling Cities Changing Weather 1,000 Miles Away
The heat released by everyday activities in energy-guzzling cities is changing the weather in far-away places, scientists report today (Jan. 27).
The released heat is changing temperatures in areas more than 1,000 miles away (1609 kilometers). It is warming parts of North America by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) and northern Asia by as much as 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius), while cooling areas of Europe by a similar amount, scientists report in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The released heat (dubbed waste heat), it seems, is changing atmospheric circulation, including jet streams - powerful narrow currents of wind that blow from west to east and north to south in the upper atmosphere.
This impact on regional temperatures may explain a climate puzzle of sorts: why some areas are having warmer winters than predicted by climate models, the researchers said. In turn, the results suggest this phenomenon should be accounted for in models forecasting global warming.
'There's a tendency in climate science to overlook the effects of cities,' Brian Stone, a professor of city and regional planning at Georgia Tech, told LiveScience. 'Cities occupy just a few percent of the global land surface, but the amount of energy released as waste heat is contributing downwind to pretty significant changes in climate. I hope this will encourage us to focus more on cities as important drivers of climate change,' added Stone, who was not involved in the current study. [8 Ways Global Warming Is Already Changing the World]
Hot in the city
Cities are known to be warmer than their surroundings due to what's known as the urban heat island effect - pavement, buildings and other building materials retain heat, preventing it from reradiating into the sky.
In the new study, the researchers looked at another kind of 'urban heat,' this one produced directly by transportation, heating and cooling units, and other energy-consuming activities.
'The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases, but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars,' said study researcher Aixue Hu, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in a statement. 'Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances.'
Hu and colleagues studied the energy effect using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) model, a widely used climate model that takes into account the effects of greenhouse gases, topography, oceans, ice and global weather. The researchers ran the model with and without the input of human energy consumption, to see whether it could account for large-scale regional warming.
When man-made energy was included in the model, it led to winter and autumn temperature changes of up to 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) in mid- and high-latitude parts of North America and Eurasia. The modeling is based on estimates, however, and more studies are needed to measure how much heat is actually released by urban areas.
Heat disrupts jet stream
Here's how the scientists think it works: Energy-hungry metropolitan areas are located on the east and west coasts of North America and Eurasia, beneath major 'hot spots' of atmospheric circulation. The waste heat from these cities creates thermal mountains, or taller-than-normal columns of heated air, which cause air jets moving eastward to deflect northward and southward.
As a result, the jet stream in upper latitudes widens and strengthens, bringing up hot air from the south and causing warming far from the urban areas (and concurrent cooling in others).
'The energy consumption in highly populated areas can cause changes in wind patterns, and that causes climate change far away from the heating source,' said meteorologist and study author Ming Cai of Florida State University.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
The released heat is changing temperatures in areas more than 1,000 miles away (1609 kilometers). It is warming parts of North America by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) and northern Asia by as much as 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius), while cooling areas of Europe by a similar amount, scientists report in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The released heat (dubbed waste heat), it seems, is changing atmospheric circulation, including jet streams - powerful narrow currents of wind that blow from west to east and north to south in the upper atmosphere.
This impact on regional temperatures may explain a climate puzzle of sorts: why some areas are having warmer winters than predicted by climate models, the researchers said. In turn, the results suggest this phenomenon should be accounted for in models forecasting global warming.
'There's a tendency in climate science to overlook the effects of cities,' Brian Stone, a professor of city and regional planning at Georgia Tech, told LiveScience. 'Cities occupy just a few percent of the global land surface, but the amount of energy released as waste heat is contributing downwind to pretty significant changes in climate. I hope this will encourage us to focus more on cities as important drivers of climate change,' added Stone, who was not involved in the current study. [8 Ways Global Warming Is Already Changing the World]
Hot in the city
Cities are known to be warmer than their surroundings due to what's known as the urban heat island effect - pavement, buildings and other building materials retain heat, preventing it from reradiating into the sky.
In the new study, the researchers looked at another kind of 'urban heat,' this one produced directly by transportation, heating and cooling units, and other energy-consuming activities.
'The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases, but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars,' said study researcher Aixue Hu, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in a statement. 'Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances.'
Hu and colleagues studied the energy effect using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) model, a widely used climate model that takes into account the effects of greenhouse gases, topography, oceans, ice and global weather. The researchers ran the model with and without the input of human energy consumption, to see whether it could account for large-scale regional warming.
When man-made energy was included in the model, it led to winter and autumn temperature changes of up to 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) in mid- and high-latitude parts of North America and Eurasia. The modeling is based on estimates, however, and more studies are needed to measure how much heat is actually released by urban areas.
Heat disrupts jet stream
Here's how the scientists think it works: Energy-hungry metropolitan areas are located on the east and west coasts of North America and Eurasia, beneath major 'hot spots' of atmospheric circulation. The waste heat from these cities creates thermal mountains, or taller-than-normal columns of heated air, which cause air jets moving eastward to deflect northward and southward.
As a result, the jet stream in upper latitudes widens and strengthens, bringing up hot air from the south and causing warming far from the urban areas (and concurrent cooling in others).
'The energy consumption in highly populated areas can cause changes in wind patterns, and that causes climate change far away from the heating source,' said meteorologist and study author Ming Cai of Florida State University.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- The Reality of Climate Change: 10 Myths Busted
- Night Lights: Stunning Views of Earth from Above
- Infographic: Earth's Atmosphere Top to Bottom
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Series of collisions in wintry weather closes stretch of Highway 401
NEWTONVILLE, Ont. - A section of a busy Southern Ontario highway has been closed due to a multi-vehicle collision that has resulted in several injuries.
Ontario provincial police say a 10-kilometre stretch of Highway 401 is closed between Newcastle and Newtonville, about 80 kilometres east of Toronto.
Reports say dozens of vehicles were involved, but police say they don't yet have a count as officers are still too busy dealing with the scene.
Paramedics in Kawartha, Ont., report several serious injuries, but say there's more wreckage than injuries.
Firefighters say one driver had to be cut from his rig.
Const. Linda Wolf says police are looking into today's blast of winter weather as a possible factor in the crashes.
Environment Canada had warned of snow squalls off Lake Ontario in the area.
'The weather is not ideal at this point,' Wolf said.
Ontario provincial police say a 10-kilometre stretch of Highway 401 is closed between Newcastle and Newtonville, about 80 kilometres east of Toronto.
Reports say dozens of vehicles were involved, but police say they don't yet have a count as officers are still too busy dealing with the scene.
Paramedics in Kawartha, Ont., report several serious injuries, but say there's more wreckage than injuries.
Firefighters say one driver had to be cut from his rig.
Const. Linda Wolf says police are looking into today's blast of winter weather as a possible factor in the crashes.
Environment Canada had warned of snow squalls off Lake Ontario in the area.
'The weather is not ideal at this point,' Wolf said.
Analysis: Obama climate push to benefit energy efficiency firms
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's promise to attack climate change is likely to light a fire under federal agencies slow to comply with a mandate to cut energy use - which could be very good news for companies that specialize in systems that save power.
Waiting in the wings are the likes of Honeywell International Inc, Johnson Controls Inc and Ameresco Inc that are ready to carry out heating and cooling system upgrades, lighting retrofits and similar projects in some of the government's 500,000 buildings.
Efficiency projects, according to many, are a key way the government can reduce its own energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without seeking additional funds from Congress.
Many of these projects are implemented under so-called energy savings performance contracts in which a company develops, installs and arranges financing for improvements to boost energy efficiency and lower costs. The energy service company guarantees the project's energy savings and services are repaid through those savings.
In late 2009, Obama mandated that federal agencies make significant reductions in energy consumption. The aim was for the government to 'lead by example' by upgrading many of its facilities. Two years later, the administration tried to jumpstart that work by setting a goal for federal agencies to enter into at least $2 billion of energy efficiency projects within two years.
'There is a lot more potential in the program than what's been done today,' said Adam Procell, executive vice president at Lime Energy Co, which works with larger companies such as Johnson Controls to design and install energy efficiency projects for federal customers.
With Obama renewing his commitment to combat climate change in his second inaugural address this week, some expect to see more pressure on agencies to get going on those projects.
'If President Obama was to let all of his administrators know that this was an important priority of his, you could see reacceleration of this market in a relatively short period of time,' said Wedbush Securities analyst Craig Irwin, who follows energy efficiency companies.
$2 BILLION GOAL
With less than a year left to reach the $2 billion goal, major efficiency companies have been working to develop project proposals and expect a string of contracts to be awarded this year.
'In the last six months, federal government activity has heated up,' Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions, said in an interview. 'That's going to step up as the year goes on.'
In October, Honeywell won an $80.6 million project to improve energy efficiency at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, the largest such project ever awarded by the federal government, according to Orzeske. Most such projects are in the $10 million to $15 million range, he added.
The upgrades are expected to save more than $170 million over 20 years, guaranteed by Honeywell through the contract.
Other energy service companies poised to benefit from federal project awards include Ameresco and United Technologies Corp's Noresco unit, both of which have been active in the federal market in recent years. Other companies that have done federal projects in the past include Clark Energy Group LLC, Siemens AG and Schneider Electric SA.
The U.S. market for energy efficiency and services topped $5.1 billion in 2011, according to Pike Research, and is expected to reach $16 billion in sales by 2020. The market is dominated by municipal, university, school and hospital projects, but demand from federal agencies has increased because of the Obama administration's mandate and economic stimulus programs, the report said.
Johnson Controls Building Efficiency's vice president of government relations, Mark Wagner, said the government has not yet addressed what will happen once it meets its $2 billion goal, but he was encouraged by Obama's renewed pledge to address climate change.
'The budget is going to be tight in the federal government for the foreseeable future,' Wagner said. 'If government agencies want to make their facilities more efficient, performance contracting is the way to address their needs and to address climate change.'
Johnson Controls won a $16 million contract in late 2011 to put in a solar energy installation and make other efficiency improvements at Fort Bliss, the nation's largest military installation.
Smaller companies that supply equipment or software to the project developers could also see a boost from federal projects, according to Aditya Ranade, who leads the sustainable building materials team at technology research firm Lux Research.
Specifically, Ranade called out LED and lighting systems companies Acuity Brands Inc and Digital Lumens and Optimum Energy LLC, which uses software and cloud computing to optimize heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as companies that could see a boost in orders from federal contracts.
Acuity Brands' stock is already up 2.4 percent since Obama's speech on Monday and Ameresco's shares have gained about 3 percent.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom.; Additional reporting by Tej Sapru in Bangalore; Editing by Patricia Kranz)
Waiting in the wings are the likes of Honeywell International Inc, Johnson Controls Inc and Ameresco Inc that are ready to carry out heating and cooling system upgrades, lighting retrofits and similar projects in some of the government's 500,000 buildings.
Efficiency projects, according to many, are a key way the government can reduce its own energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without seeking additional funds from Congress.
Many of these projects are implemented under so-called energy savings performance contracts in which a company develops, installs and arranges financing for improvements to boost energy efficiency and lower costs. The energy service company guarantees the project's energy savings and services are repaid through those savings.
In late 2009, Obama mandated that federal agencies make significant reductions in energy consumption. The aim was for the government to 'lead by example' by upgrading many of its facilities. Two years later, the administration tried to jumpstart that work by setting a goal for federal agencies to enter into at least $2 billion of energy efficiency projects within two years.
'There is a lot more potential in the program than what's been done today,' said Adam Procell, executive vice president at Lime Energy Co, which works with larger companies such as Johnson Controls to design and install energy efficiency projects for federal customers.
With Obama renewing his commitment to combat climate change in his second inaugural address this week, some expect to see more pressure on agencies to get going on those projects.
'If President Obama was to let all of his administrators know that this was an important priority of his, you could see reacceleration of this market in a relatively short period of time,' said Wedbush Securities analyst Craig Irwin, who follows energy efficiency companies.
$2 BILLION GOAL
With less than a year left to reach the $2 billion goal, major efficiency companies have been working to develop project proposals and expect a string of contracts to be awarded this year.
'In the last six months, federal government activity has heated up,' Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions, said in an interview. 'That's going to step up as the year goes on.'
In October, Honeywell won an $80.6 million project to improve energy efficiency at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, the largest such project ever awarded by the federal government, according to Orzeske. Most such projects are in the $10 million to $15 million range, he added.
The upgrades are expected to save more than $170 million over 20 years, guaranteed by Honeywell through the contract.
Other energy service companies poised to benefit from federal project awards include Ameresco and United Technologies Corp's Noresco unit, both of which have been active in the federal market in recent years. Other companies that have done federal projects in the past include Clark Energy Group LLC, Siemens AG and Schneider Electric SA.
The U.S. market for energy efficiency and services topped $5.1 billion in 2011, according to Pike Research, and is expected to reach $16 billion in sales by 2020. The market is dominated by municipal, university, school and hospital projects, but demand from federal agencies has increased because of the Obama administration's mandate and economic stimulus programs, the report said.
Johnson Controls Building Efficiency's vice president of government relations, Mark Wagner, said the government has not yet addressed what will happen once it meets its $2 billion goal, but he was encouraged by Obama's renewed pledge to address climate change.
'The budget is going to be tight in the federal government for the foreseeable future,' Wagner said. 'If government agencies want to make their facilities more efficient, performance contracting is the way to address their needs and to address climate change.'
Johnson Controls won a $16 million contract in late 2011 to put in a solar energy installation and make other efficiency improvements at Fort Bliss, the nation's largest military installation.
Smaller companies that supply equipment or software to the project developers could also see a boost from federal projects, according to Aditya Ranade, who leads the sustainable building materials team at technology research firm Lux Research.
Specifically, Ranade called out LED and lighting systems companies Acuity Brands Inc and Digital Lumens and Optimum Energy LLC, which uses software and cloud computing to optimize heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as companies that could see a boost in orders from federal contracts.
Acuity Brands' stock is already up 2.4 percent since Obama's speech on Monday and Ameresco's shares have gained about 3 percent.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom.; Additional reporting by Tej Sapru in Bangalore; Editing by Patricia Kranz)
Antarctic rescue mission for 3 Canadians continues as weather improves
Rescue officials say efforts to locate three Canadians missing in Antarctica will continue today as weather conditions improve.
The Canadians were on a plane that went missing Wednesday during a flight from the South Pole to Terra Nova Bay.
New Zealand's Rescue Co-ordination Centre says a plane is scheduled to fly to the area today to set up a base camp about 50 kilometres from where the missing plane's emergency beacon was transmitting.
As soon as the weather clears, two helicopters will then start an aerial search.
Aircraft tried twice to spot the missing plane in the mountainous area, but couldn't see it because of poor visibility and snow.
The rescue co-ordination centre says the crew of the missing aircraft have survival equipment and are well trained for the harsh environment.
The Canadians were on a plane that went missing Wednesday during a flight from the South Pole to Terra Nova Bay.
New Zealand's Rescue Co-ordination Centre says a plane is scheduled to fly to the area today to set up a base camp about 50 kilometres from where the missing plane's emergency beacon was transmitting.
As soon as the weather clears, two helicopters will then start an aerial search.
Aircraft tried twice to spot the missing plane in the mountainous area, but couldn't see it because of poor visibility and snow.
The rescue co-ordination centre says the crew of the missing aircraft have survival equipment and are well trained for the harsh environment.
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