With nowhere to hide, these workers are left with no choice but to endure sizzling temps
It was so hot Tuesday that Chris Kelly had to pull his roofing crew from their regularly scheduled job. “Once it hits about 85 or 90 degrees, we don’t even install because the shingles will heat up to the point that walking on them will scar them,” said Kelly, owner...
Tropical Storm Andrea, 1st of Atlantic hurricane season, has formed
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Andrea, the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has formed, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday. Andrea was located 1,205 miles west of the Azores, forecasters said. Maximum sustained winds were at 40 mph and the cyclone was traveling east-northeast at 17 mph. The...
Residents seek relief as extreme heat prompts surge in hospital visits; cooling centers open
Hospitals throughout Western Pennsylvania are seeing a spike in patients with heat-related emergencies, officials said Monday as extreme heat blanketed the region. At UPMC, the region’s largest hospital network, the number of people with heat-affected illnesses has gone up “dramatically,” said Dr. Donald Yealy, chief medical officer. “Absolutely, there’s zero...
Eastern half of U.S. endures another long day of dangerous heat
MADISON, Wis. — Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and East endured another sweltering day of dangerously hot temperatures Sunday as a rare June heat wave continued to grip much of the U.S. Most of the northeastern quadrant of the country from Minnesota to Maine was under some...
Solstice sizzle: Western Pa. braces for a surge in summer heat
Grab your water bottles. Summer’s officially here, and a uncanny stretch of consecutive days with temperatures in the 90s will accompany the solstice. For the first time in June since 1994, the Pittsburgh region is expected to have five or more days of temperatures in the 90s. And they’re coming...
Sunshine abounds as the summer solstice arrives
Peak sunshine has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere — the summer solstice. Friday is the longest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical summer. It’s the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year and...
Erick makes landfall in southern Mexico as a Category 3 storm
ACAPULCO, Mexico — Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, but there was no immediate report of injuries. The hurricane’s center was located about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at...
Erick strengthens into a Category 3 major hurricane approaching Mexico’s coast
ACAPULCO, Mexico — Hurricane Erick powered up into a dangerous Category 3 major hurricane Wednesday evening as it bore down on the southern Mexico coast, threatening to unleash destructive winds, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge on the region in coming hours, forecasters said. Swiftly strengthening from a Category...
Heat dome will blanket much of U.S., with worrisome temperatures in Midwest
Summer will make a dramatic entrance in the U.S. this week with a heat dome that will bring stifling temperatures and uncomfortable humidity to millions. The heat will be particularly worrisome this weekend across wide stretches of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, where forecasters are warning of extreme temperature impacts....
‘Mother Nature at its worst:’ Death toll from flash floods climbs to 6 in West VirginiaVideo
WHEELING, W.Va. — The death toll from weekend flooding in West Virginia rose to six as residents tried to clean up with the threat of more rain on the way. At least two people remained missing in the state’s northern panhandle after torrential downpours Saturday night, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said...
Prepare for a rainy week in Western Pennsylvania
It’s time to break out the umbrellas for rain in Western Pennsylvania. There’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms every day this week, according to Liana Lupo, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon. “It’s going to be more of a scattered coverage,” she said, which is similar to...
Flash flooding kills 5 in West Virginia, rescue teams searching for missing peopleVideo
Flash flooding caused by torrential rains killed five people in northern West Virginia and rescue crews were searching for three other people who were missing Sunday as authorities assessed damage to roads, bridges, natural gas lines and other infrastructure. Officials said 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts...
Alerts issued for air quality, high temperatures across Pittsburgh region
Authorities have issued advisories for air quality and high temperatures Thursday in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is the primary reason for the National Weather Service issuing an air quality notice. While the smoke has recently been at high levels in the atmosphere, causing hazy skies, an inversion will...
Consistent rain this spring has some local farmers frustrated
A rainy day is not always good news for Hempfield farmer Neil Palmer. “This is a time of year when we want to be out frequently doing tillage, planting, seeding, cultivation, all of that,” said Palmer, who has sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions and cabbage planted. “When we’ve got consistent...
Murrysville and Export assess damage from weekend storm, flooding
Friday’s downpour generated so much stormwater that it destroyed a culvert built by Murrysville public works crews along Lyons Run. “Forty-eight tons of R-7’s and asphalt are now somewhere else,” Murrysville Public Works Director Bill Paiano said in a memo to town officials in his initial assessment of the damage...
Tropical Storm Barbara becomes a hurricane
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Barbara has strengthened into a hurricane, the first of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday swells generated by the storm system will affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next few days. These swells are likely...
Little time to dry: More storms headed for Pittsburgh region after flooding
The Pittsburgh region won’t have much time to recover from weekend flooding, as more storms are expected to roll in Monday evening, meteorologists said. Mike Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said residents can expect continued thunderstorms to begin Monday around 6 p.m. and to continue...
Canadian wildfire smoke to linger over Western Pa.
Canadian wildfire smoke is here to stay in Western Pennsylvania — at least for this week. “Right now, it looks like it could be a decent portion of the week,” said Andrew Kienzle, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon. By Thursday during the day, though, some rain...
Thousands evacuated in 3 provinces as Canadian wildfires threaten air quality into some U.S. statesVideo
FLIN FLON, Manitoba — More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remained active Sunday and diminished air quality in parts of Canada and the U.S., according to officials. Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last...
Northern lights to be visible through Sunday night
What scientists call “a geomagnetic storm watch” is in effect for Sunday night. In plain language, that means: Look for vibrant northern lights across the nation — visible anywhere in Pennsylvania. Authorities from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center said “a coronal mass ejection” will likely...
Turmoil, worry swirl over cuts to key federal agencies as hurricane season begins
WASHINGTON — With predictions for a busy hurricane season beginning Sunday, experts in storms and disasters are worried about something potentially as chaotic as the swirling winds: Massive cuts to the federal system that forecasts, tracks and responds to hurricanes. Experts are alarmed over the large-scale staff reductions, travel and...
1 dead and several injured when storm rips through Kentucky community, authorities say
SPRINGFIELD, Ky. — The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia on Friday, hours after a harsh storm hit a remote area of central Kentucky, killing one person and injuring seven. In Kentucky, Washington County Judge-executive Timothy Graves said two or three...
Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn
WASHINGTON — Get ready for several years of even more record-breaking heat that pushes Earth to more deadly, fiery and uncomfortable extremes, two of the world’s top weather agencies forecast. There’s an 80% chance the world will break another annual temperature record in the next five years, and it’s even...
Warmer temperatures coming to Western Pa., forecasters say
The temperatures have dipped as of late, but Western Pennsylvania should warm up soon, says the National Weather Service. How about the sun? Well, let’s not get greedy. “Right now … the outlook calls for a warmer than normal conditions and possibly wetter than normal conditions,” said meteorologist Timothy Cermak...
Western Pa. slated for good weather, heavy travel Memorial Day weekend
As Western Pennsylvania residents choose how to spend Memorial Day, the weather is shaping up for an ideal three-day weekend outdoors, according to the National Weather Service. Little chance of rain and steadily escalating temperatures are in the forecast, said Timothy Cermak, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Pittsburgh office...
