Weather

View of ancient buildings in a sandstorm in Lanzhou city, northwest Chinas Gansu province, 24 April 2014

Photos: A Massive Sandstorm Swept Across Northern China

The event is one of the largest to hit China in years

The Freezing Winter Forced New York's Rats To a New Food Source: Trees

This past winter was particularly hard on the animals

As climate change makes wet places wetter and dry areas drier, the frequency of drought is expected in increase in certain locations. Droughts, such as this one in Kenya in 2006, can increase food insecurity, especially among the poor.

Eight Ways That Climate Change Hurts Humans

From floods and droughts to increases in violent conflict, climate change is taking a toll on the planet's population

This Winter Was Hard on Animals, Too

As tough as it was on humans, it may have been even harder on the animals who don’t get to curl up in front of the fire

Crummy Weather Can Lead to Harsher Online Restaurant Reviews

Are you sure you didn't like the food? Maybe it was just the weather...

Heat Increases the Risk of Early-Term Delivery

As temperatures rise, delivery rooms see a peak in early-term babies

A deep chill covered much of the eastern half of the United States this winter. Winds known as the polar vortex did not blow in as tight a formation as they have in the past. When they loosened, they let Arctic air spill south, seen by the blue in this picture. Atmospheric scientist Jennifer Francis says that this pattern can be blamed on Arctic warming.

Why We Can Blame A Warm Arctic For This Winter’s Icy Chill

Arctic amplification is affecting the jet stream and letting weather systems persist longer, atmospheric scientist says

Park Place, Brooklyn after the 1888 blizzard.

It Wasn’t Always the City’s Job to Remove Snow

Even if everybody isn’t happy with the quality of snow removal, they should be pleased it's not their responsibility

South Australia Has a Higher Rate of Hypothermia Deaths Than Sweden

Weather can be dangerous when preparedness and support are lacking

Myth Debunked: Wind Farms Don't Alter the Climate

A model indicates that doubling Europe's number of wind turbines would have a negligible effect on temperature and precipitation

The Science of the First Cold Weather Super Bowl

Science shows that the cold weather will make it harder for players to grip the ball, avoid slipping and hear each other over the roar of the crowd

Australia has a long record of devastating tropical cyclones, such as Yasi, which made landfall in Queensland in February 2011. But a new study finds such storms to be on the decline.

Australian Cyclone Activity Hits Record Low Levels

Climate change may explain the recent drop, scientists say

Beautiful, beautiful vaporized dirt.

Vaporized Dirt Might Be the Mysterious Cause of Ball Lightning

An analysis of one ball's contents found silicon, iron and calcium—the main components of dirt

People bake in the heat at this year's Australian Open.

It’s So Hot They Had to Suspend the Australian Open Because Players Were Passing Out

Australia is getting hotter, creating dangerous conditions for everyone

The Chicago skyline during the polar vortex.

The Cold Snap Wasn’t Actually That Extreme, Global Warming Has Just Made Us Wimpy

The recent cold snap wouldn't have been so unusual in the past

Courtesy of Flickr user

Is Today Really the Most Depressing Day of the Year?

Blue Monday: scientifically-grounded downer day or invention made up to sell more vacations and protein shakes?

This Cold Snap Is Making It Colder Than the Surface of Mars

There's a pocket of cold air hanging over the eastern states, and it is very cold indeed

The northern subtropical jet stream flows in Cameron Beccario's Earth.

Watch How the Wind Moves Around the Earth—It's Hypnotic

This mesmerizing tool helps visualize the winds all over the globe and is known simply as “Earth"

Inventing the Perfect Umbrella

Will a Japanese designer's new take on umbrellas catch on where others have failed?

The Northern Hemisphere's mid-latitudes have experienced many heat waves in recent years, such as one that fueled Rocky Mountain wildfires in summer 2012. Warmer-than-normal temperatures appear red in this NASA image of North America on June 28, 2012.

Summer Heat Waves May Be Linked To Sea Ice Loss

As ice melts, the jet stream gets stuck in the north, causing warm weather to linger in the south--but the reason why this occurs remains unknown

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