Tropical Storm Fiona is nearing the French island of Guadeloupe, and is forecast to pass close enough to Puerto Rico this weekend to bring tropical storm conditions and up to a foot of rain.
The big picture: The storm, which packed maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of 5 p.m. ET, is forecast to slowly intensify, possibly to the cusp of hurricane intensity, before making landfall in the Dominican Republic on Sunday night into early Monday morning.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed "some of the nation’s most aggressive climate measures in history" to combat human-caused climate change into law on Friday.
Why it matters: The legislative package "complements" the $54 billion in climate funding included in the state's budget earlier this year, Newsom's office said. The new laws come as the state nears the end of a harsh summer that brought record-breaking heat that tested its power grid and contributed to major wildfires.
At least nine people were killed and four were missing from flooding caused by heavy rainfall across Italy's central Marche region on Friday, Italian wire service ANSA reports.
The big picture: Hospitals in the area had treated around 50 people for injuries from the flooding, while rescue operations were launched for Senigallia, Barbara and Cantiano and other more remote towns in the Apennine Mountains, according to AP.
Climate and progressive groups are launching a $10 million, 12-week ad campaign touting the new energy law, an effort targeted at young people and communities of color.
Driving the news: The ads begin Monday on streaming services and social media platforms in states including Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and a few others.
Large swaths of Pakistan are underwater from unusually prolific monsoon rains, which have killed nearly 1,500 people. Now a new study shows the connections between the flooding and climate change.
The big picture: The study, released Thursday, shows human-caused global warming may have boosted 5-day rainfall amounts in the hardest-hit areas of Pakistan by up to 50%.
Jackson, Mississippi on Thursday lifted its boil water advisory after Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced that clean water had been restored to the city.
Why it matters: The city has had a boil water advisory in place since July, when tests showed water quality was "cloudy." Flooding in the Pearl River exacerbated the crisis and damaged the city's water system, upending life for the city of nearly 150,000 people.
Shell CEO Ben van Beurden will step down at year's end after nine years that included new climate initiatives and weathering the shock of the COVID pandemic.
Why it matters: Wael Sawan, currently head of Shell's integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions unit, will replace van Beurden as CEO of one of the world's most powerful energy companies.
It was a relentlessly hot summer in much of the U.S., especially across the Plains, Southwest and West, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The big picture: While each month had its own quirks, there were two constants: extreme heat in Texas and Oklahoma and damaging flash flooding in multiple locations across the country as rainfall records were shattered.
/2022/09/15/1663278347283.gif?w=3840)
