You’ll have to excuse this ENSO Blogger for a minute while I drink some sweet tea on the porch and lament about all the heat and humidity, “Woof, it’s hot!” Things truly seem to move slower during the dog days of summer in late July and early August. And it seems like the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean that can affect weather across the world, is no exception. The expected transition from ENSO-Neutral to La Niña continues to proceed slowly, as if the whole Pacific is stuck in a summer daze, moving as slow as molasses.

August 2024 Outlook: A La Niña Watch in the dog days of summer

PBS NewsHour

Federal forecasters are still predicting a highly active Atlantic hurricane season thanks to near-record sea surface temperatures and the possibility of La Nina.

Hurricane forecasters still predict highly active Atlantic season in updated outlook

USA TODAY

In a revised forecast issued Thursday, the federal government still calls for an "extremely active" Atlantic hurricane season.

'An early and violent start': NOAA issues dire hurricane season forecast

Georgia State

Florida State

The US Sun

A KILLER hurricane storm has brought more than just strong winds and destruction when it recently made landfall. Leaving a trail of death and destruction in her wake, Hurricane Debby also left more than two dozen packages of cocaine along a beach in Florida. Hurricane Debby is already responsible for killing at least five people […]

Hurricane Debby washes over $1million of cocaine onto Florida’s shore during deadly ‘once-in-1,000-year’ storm

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Devra Lee

Disclaimer: This content was written by Devra Lee for general informational and entertainment purposes only. This service is to provide astrological information that has been researched, recorded, and observed by the author.

Horoscope of the Day, Monday, August 12th

Chicago, IL

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Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

Cooking With Maryann

Maybe it's just me, but it's not summer until I get to eat crab cakes! Don't let this recipe intimitate you! It's really not difficult, just takes a little bit of prep time in the fridge.

Delicious Crab Cakes!

J. Souza

Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, a $1.35 billion behemoth of the sea, has recently been introduced to the world since its maiden voyage on July 19th. The ship, boasting nearly 5,700 passengers and a crew of over 2,200, offers an array of amenities designed to cater to multi-generational families on shorter 3- and 4-day itineraries.

Cruise Passengers Not Happy About Feature on World's Newest Mega Ship

South Carolina State

Colleton County, SC

Explore Beaufort SC

Some beachgoers were in for a surprise this week when a bizarre looking prehistoric fish washed ashore in Colleton County along Edisto Beach at Edisto Beach State Park. It turned out to be an atlantic sturgeon.

Rare Atlantic sturgeon washes ashore on South Carolina beach

Kansas State

Missouri State

CJ Coombs

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) helps to locate missing children. Since July 1, 2024, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), 174 children have been reported missing in the U.S. Since January 1, 2024, there was a total of 1,445 reported missing in the country.

Missing Missouri children as of July 17, 2024, according to the NCMEC

Denver, CO

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David Heitz

More dangerous substances are entering the Denver drug supply, Harm Reduction Action Center warned in a newsletter this week. “The Iron Law of Prohibition posits that as law enforcement becomes more intense, the potency of prohibited substances increases,” HRAC Executive Director Lisa Raville wrote in the newsletter. That is exactly what is happening, she said.

Dangerous substances entering Denver drug supply

Fisheries and Oceans says majority of sockeye salmon migration interrupted by the flooding. When Si:yá:m Kenneth Jones, a councillor with the Shxw'ōwhámél First Nation near Hope, B.C., woke up on Wednesday, he says he saw several football fields worth of branches, logs and roots floating in the Fraser River.

Communities dealing with lasting effects of B.C. Interior floods

Jacksonville Today

Republican Donald Trump has a 7-point lead over Democrat Kamala Harris among Florida voters, 49% to 42%, according to a new poll from the University of North Florida. Four percent are backing another candidate, and 6% are undecided or didn’t answer.

New Florida poll: Trump leads; support strong for abortion and recreational weed

Uncovering Florida

Most people are guilty of doing it at least once in their lives, many people do it by accident, some do it because they find it fun, and others do it for reasons like honoring loved ones. Regardless of the situation, just about everyone has released a balloon. The difference is that intentionally releasing balloons is now illegal by House Bill 321’s standards.

Law Signed By DeSantis Makes It Illegal To Release Balloons In Florida

No, pallet shelters for people experiencing homelessness don’t fold into caskets. It’s a question a reader posed one of the first times I wrote about pallet shelters. I find the pallet shelters to be more palatable than ice fishing tents. The Colorado Village Collaborative operates both micro-communities and the so-called Safe Outdoor Spaces with the tents. We all learned the tents are not safe when a fire roared through a CVC Safe Outdoor Space, destroying the compound quickly. Officials never disclosed a cause of the fire.

Opinion: No, pallet shelters for homeless in Denver, Aurora don’t fold into caskets

Tampa, FL

AccuWeather

A hurricane watch has been issued for part of Florida as a strengthening tropical system, soon to become Tropical Storm Debby, approaches the state over the weekend. Tropical Depression Four is forecast to strengthen while moving northward along the Florida Peninsula's Gulf coast this weekend, spreading rain, gusty winds and severe thunderstorms slowly northward. AccuWeather meteorologists warn that not only may the feature become a hurricane, but it may also later stall along the southeastern United States coast next week.

Upcoming tropical storm has Florida, southeast US on alert

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Forecasters are shifting attention to a potential tropical threat in the Atlantic Ocean, likely named "Ernesto." This tropical wave is expected to move toward the Antilles by Monday and now has a 70% chance of developing into an organized system. The tropical wave is located over...

Tropical Storm Ernesto could form next week as forecasters increase chance of development for Atlantic system

The rotation that drives a supercell can make these thunderstorms exceptionally dangerous when you’re in their path. Supercells loom large in Canada's skies during the summer months. These intense thunderstorms are responsible for some of the worst severe weather you can experience, capable of producing significant tornadoes and hail larger than golf balls.

How supercells grow to produce giant hail and intense tornadoes

Daily Coffee Press

The chances for the tropical wave in the Atlantic developing have now risen to 80% over the next seven days. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has advised that this disturbance could become the next tropical storm or hurricane within the coming days, potentially targeting the U.S. East Coast.

Tropical Wave That Could Impact Georgia Now Has 80% Chance of Development

Tennessee State

John M. Dabbs

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) has issued a health alert to clinicians statewide following reports of severe acute illnesses and adverse effects of consuming Diamond Shruumz™ brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies. The warning comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received reports of serious health issues linked to these mushroom-containing edible products.

Tennessee Health Alert: Severe Illnesses Linked to Diamond Shruumz™ Products

NewsBreak

Hurricanes ahead? Experts expect La Niña to emerge by this fall

The latest predictions give a two-in-three chance of La Niña developing by the fall months. A La Niña watch remains in effect heading into the peak...

Hurricanes ahead? Experts expect La Niña to emerge by this fall

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