All articles tagged with #noaa
Aurora borealis displays are visible across the UK and northern US due to G2 geomagnetic storms caused by solar coronal mass ejections. NOAA forecasts activity in the US through Sunday, while the UK Met Office expects sightings to continue until Tuesday. The phenomenon is part of a heightened solar activity cycle in 2026.
NOAA forecasts a G1 to G2 geomagnetic storm for Oct. 8-9, driven by a coronal mass ejection from Active Region 4549. This may produce strong northern lights in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern regions, though cloud cover could limit visibility.
Scientists from the Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA captured a rare live sighting of a Dumbo octopus (Cirroteuthis) while exploring an unnamed seamount near the Palau Marine Sanctuary. The researchers expressed visible excitement during the encounter, noting that the animal is typically found in much deeper waters. The footage highlights the creature’s distinctive ear-like fins and its ability to swallow prey whole, offering a glimpse into the behavior of this elusive deep-sea cephalopod.
A fourth coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun on October 8 has intensified forecasts for aurora visibility across the northern United States. NOAA predicts G1 to G2 geomagnetic storms for October 8-9, potentially allowing northern lights to be seen as far south as New York and Idaho. The activity stems from solar flares in active region AR4549, with the latest CME potentially catching up to earlier ejections to enhance geomagnetic conditions.
NOAA has issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch for October 9, following a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by the Sun on October 6. The CME, traveling at approximately 560 km/s, is expected to reach Earth in the early hours of October 9, potentially triggering visible auroras as far south as Idaho and New York. This event follows an M1.4-class solar flare from sunspot region AR4549, which is currently positioned near the center of the Earth-facing side of the Sun. While exact arrival timing remains uncertain, forecasters anticipate moderate geomagnetic activity that could enhance northern lights visibility across the northern United States.
A historically strong polar vortex and a record-breaking El Niño are shaping the 2026 winter outlook, with most forecasters expecting milder temperatures for much of the United States despite risks of cold outbreaks if the vortex weakens.
The 2026 hurricane season is defined by extreme imbalance: the Atlantic has produced only seven tropical storms and zero hurricanes, while the Pacific has generated 18 named storms and eight hurricanes. This divergence is attributed to a powerful El Niño event and a severe drought in Ethiopia, which disrupted tropical wave formation. The Atlantic’s accumulated cyclone energy is at its lowest since 1925, whereas the Pacific’s activity is far above average, with Hurricane Polo reaching 180 mph winds.
Two olive ridley sea turtles have laid eggs on Southern California beaches for the first time in recorded history, marking a significant shift in marine wildlife patterns. NOAA confirmed the sightings on Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, attributing the event to unusually warm waters driven by El Niño. While scientists debate whether this is a temporary anomaly or the start of a northward migration trend, the nests are now protected by fencing as they incubate for 45 to 60 days.
NOAA Fisheries has approved a revised permit allowing Florida anglers to catch red snapper for 14 consecutive days from October 9 to 22. This extended window applies to state and federal waters in the South Atlantic, marking a significant increase from the two-day season held last year. While the federal recreational season is limited to three days, exempted fishing permits for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina enable the longer pilot period. Officials plan to review data from this October season to determine if a second season will be authorized in December 2026.
Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 180 mph, tying the strongest storm on Earth this year. The storm is fueled by warm El Niño waters and is moving parallel to Mexico's coast, posing severe flood risks without making landfall.
El Niño’s strengthening warm waters in the Pacific are depressing Atlantic hurricane activity, producing a record-late start with five named storms and no hurricanes through Sept. 15. NOAA still expects below-average Atlantic activity (7–13 named storms, 0–2 major hurricanes, 2–6 hurricanes) while the Pacific season remains robust, with 14 named storms and four hurricanes so far, including major storms Genevieve and Karina and a Cat 5 peak for Lowell. The anomaly has reached about 2°C, marking a very strong El Niño, a pattern historically linked to active Pacific storms and subdued Atlantic activity.
El Niño is suppressing Atlantic hurricane activity, producing a record-late start to the season with five named storms and no hurricanes by mid-September, while NOAA projects below-normal Atlantic activity for the year; by contrast, the Pacific season is above average with 14 named storms and four hurricanes, and a very strong El Niño could yield multiple major hurricanes.
El Niño-driven wind shear is suppressing tropical development in the Atlantic, producing a record-long lull in hurricane activity (about 103 days with no hurricanes as of mid-September) and making 2026 the quietest start-to-date hurricane season since satellite tracking began. The only notable system so far was Tropical Storm Edouard, which stayed below hurricane strength, and forecasters anticipate the back half of the season will remain subdued, though late-season storms can still form near the Gulf and Southeast U.S. In a warming world, even weaker storms can bring significant rainfall, so vigilance remains warranted.
Alaska has a high chance of seeing the northern lights tonight, while seven other states—Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin—have a low chance, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center; auroras occur when solar wind particles collide with Earth's atmosphere.
NOAA says meteorological summer (June–August) 2026 was the hottest on record for the contiguous United States, averaging 74.4°F (3.0°F above the 20th‑century average). The heat was broad across the Lower 48, with four states—Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico—posting their own summer records, and July’s heat dome driving 100°F+ days and persistently hot nights; the period also saw above‑average minimum temperatures in 17 states and contributed to drought strains in the Colorado River Basin, including record low levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead.