Hurricane Idalia strengthens into a powerful Category 4 storm as it nears Florida’s Big Bend region

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Hurricane Idalia strengthens into a powerful Category 4 storm as it nears
Florida’s Big Bend region CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia strengthens into a powerful Category 4 storm as it nearsFlorida’s Big Bend region.Source

Denver weather: 90s return for rest of the week

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Denver weather: 90s return for rest of the week DENVER (KDVR) — With plenty of sunshine along the Front Range, temperatures in the Denver weather forecast will top out in the low 90s Wednesday afternoon, helping to keep the summer heat around.Weather today: Sunny and hotSkies will be sunny over most of the state Wednesday, helping to warm temperatures across the Front Range and Eastern Plains. Colorado natural disasters rise 275% over 20 years Highs will reach the low 90s Wednesday, putting Denver almost 10 degrees above average. There will be some light winds throughout the day as well.Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast on Aug. 30.Weather tonight: Mild and clearSkies stay clear overnight as a light breeze begins to pick up. With that southerly breeze, lows Wednesday night will only dip into the lower 60s.Pinpoint Weather: Overnight forecast on Aug. 30.Looking ahead: Small storm chancesThe heat sticks around through the end of the week. Mostly sunny skies will be around on Thursday with hot highs in the middle 90s. Denver man...

Denver man arrives in Florida to help with hurricane recovery

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Denver man arrives in Florida to help with hurricane recovery DENVER (KDVR) — As Hurricane Idalia closes in on the state of Florida, thousands of people are fleeing coastal areas. But one Denver man is doing the opposite. He arrived in Tallahassee on Tuesday in preparation for a potential disaster.“Tomorrow morning, I’m just hoping wherever I’m staying at is still going to be there,” said Jamaal Wilson.Wilson is a Red Cross volunteer who specializes in community engagement and partnership. He’s been deployed to countless disasters but said this is the first time he’s been sent to one before a storm even hits. Colorado natural disasters rise 275% over 20 years “It’s kind of scary because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Wilson said. "Everything before was after landfall, so we saw the destruction, we knew what we were getting into. This one is, ‘What’s going to happen?’”Wilson said volunteers will be riding out the storm from a safe location before quickly moving into impacted areas to provide assistance.“It’s a joyous thing to give ba...

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia has made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm on Wednesday and threatens to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall.Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. The result could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian.The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend.Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.CEDAR KEY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Idalia steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region as a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, threatening deadly storm surges and destruc...

Stunning new images reveal Ring Nebula in unprecedented detail

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Stunning new images reveal Ring Nebula in unprecedented detail (CNN) — The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed colorful new portraits of the iconic Ring Nebula.The new images capture the complex details of the planetary nebula, an enormous cloud of cosmic gas and dust that’s home to the remnants of a dying star.The two images were taken in different wavelengths of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, using instruments on the space observatory. Webb previously captured a different perspective on the Ring Nebula, as well as the similar-looking Southern Ring Nebula.A longtime favorite of astronomers, the Ring Nebula has been studied for years due to its observability and the insight it can provide into the lifetime of stars. It is located in the Lyra constellation more than 2,000 light-years from Earth, but on clear evenings during the summer, sky gazers using binoculars can see it.Planetary nebulae, which have nothing to do with planets despite the name, usually have a rounded structure and were so named because they initially...

Hurricane Idalia threatens Southern Georgia, poses flash flooding peril for the Carolinas

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Hurricane Idalia threatens Southern Georgia, poses flash flooding peril for the Carolinas As Hurricane Idalia intensifies, Southern Georgia is bracing for impact as the storm advances with the potential to strike. Forecasters predict its trajectory will then take it through the coastal areas of the Carolinas, where residents are hunkering down for a deluge of heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding. The looming threat of strong winds and the specter of waterlogged landscapes have prompted communities to ramp up their preparations.Charleston, a coastal city familiar with the unpredictability of hurricane season, is no stranger to the ritual of stocking up on essential supplies. From batteries to flashlights, homeowners are diligently acquiring the tools needed to weather the impending storm. Amidst the array of preparations, one particular set of items is seeing heightened demand—anchors and straps designed to secure structures in place during the tempest.Local hardware store owner, Joe Westbury, described the surge in interest. “Now that’s a 30-inch double ...

Soldiers stage coup in Gabon, in sign of fresh instability in Africa

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Soldiers stage coup in Gabon, in sign of fresh instability in Africa Military officers in Gabon say they have seized power and put President Ali Bongo under house arrest in what would be Africa’s eighth coup in three years. Earlier, official results showed Bongo won a third term in office following the country’s election on Saturday. But on Wednesday, soldiers announced the cancellation of the result, and the dissolution of the country’s institutions, amid reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville. “We are putting an end to the current regime,” the soldiers said, according to AFP.In a later television appearance, coup leaders said that Bongo had been placed under house arrest and that his son had been arrested.According to the country’s electoral commission, Bongo won the general election in the oil-rich central African nation with over 64 percent of the vote. But concerns were raised about the fairness of the election when the government cut internet access and imposed a nighttime curfew after the vote.Bongo’s family hav...

Showers to Stunning

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Showers to Stunning Safe to say it’s a murky, muggy and mild start with temps kicking off this Wednesday morning near 70 and dew points right there as well. With so much low level humidity, it’s been easy for locally dense fog to form. The fog is with us through mid morning as well as scattered showers. The showers early to mid morning are light, but the potential for late morning and early afternoon showers and storms to drop localized downpours is there. Some breaks of sun by mid afternoon are likely as we start to dry out heading toward the evening commute. We really dry out tonight as humidity crashes and a comfy mid to late September fell to the air takes over tomorrow. The crisp air lasts into Saturday morning, then the warm-up is on. We’ll reach to low 80s Saturday, mid 80s Sunday and likely upper 80s Labor Day. It’ll be a bit cooler, 70s to near 80 at the beaches. The pattern looks mostly dry too from Thursday – next Tuesday, although there’s a small chance t...

Man admits stabbing US intelligence agent working at Britain’s cyberespionage agency

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

Man admits stabbing US intelligence agent working at Britain’s cyberespionage agency LONDON (AP) — A former U.K. intelligence worker accused of stabbing an American woman stationed at Britain’s cyberespionage agency pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attempted murder.Joshua Bowles, 29, admitted attacking the victim on March 9 in the western England town of Cheltenham, home to the electronic spy agency GCHQ.He allegedly punched and stabbed the woman as she left a leisure center about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from GCHQ headquarters after playing netball. The victim was treated in a hospital for multiple stab wounds.Bowles also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man who tried to intervene.Prosecutors said Bowles worked at GCHQ until late 2022 and in early 2023 began researching the victim online. They said the victim, who was identified in court only by the number 99230, was a United States government employee stationed at GCHQ. British media reported that she works for the National Security Agency.“The defendant has selected the victim because he believed she is a worker for ...

After Tesla relaxes monitoring of drivers using its Autopilot technology, US regulators seek answers

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:33:56 GMT

After Tesla relaxes monitoring of drivers using its Autopilot technology, US regulators seek answers DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is letting some drivers use its Autopilot driver-assist system for extended periods without making them put their hands on the steering wheel, a development that has drawn concern from U.S. safety regulators.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla to tell the agency how many vehicles have received a software update making that possible and it’s seeking more information on what the electric vehicle maker’s plans are for wider distribution.“NHTSA is concerned that this feature was introduced to consumer vehicles and, now that the existence of this feature is known to the public, more drivers may attempt to activate it,” John Donaldson, the agency’s acting chief counsel, wrote in a July 26 letter to Tesla that was posted Wednesday on the agency’s website. “The resulting relaxation of controls designed to ensure that the driver remain engaged in the dynamic driving task could lead to greater driver inattention and...