After 230 whales were found washed up on Tasmania's west coast early Wednesday, only 35 remained alive after waves took a toll on the animals, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports.
The latest: Rescue efforts were continuing in the island state, located off the Australian mainland's southeast coast, on Thursday afternoon local time.
Experts are torn after two deadly mass whale strandings in Tasmania this week made international headlines, but some have floated theories for why the incidents happened.
The big picture: TheTasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment said in a statement that it "will assess the scene and the situation to plan an appropriate response." It response has been guided by a manual that's undergone revision since Tasmania's largest-ever mass whale stranding in 2020.
President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Puerto Rico and ordered federal aid to assist with recovery efforts in the areas affected by deadly Hurricane Fiona, the White House announced Wednesday evening.
Driving the news: Local officials told AP Wednesday they were having difficulty trying to reach stranded residents days after Fiona swept through, cutting off areas in "at least six municipalities" after triggering heavy rains, mudslides and flooding that destroyed bridges, roads and property.
Five years after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is reeling from Hurricane Fiona, which unleashed heavy rains, winds and mudslides on the island and left most households without electricity or access to running water.
The big picture: Black and Latino communities in the U.S. have long been burdened by the disproportionate impacts of climate change. Fiona is no exception.
Hurricane Fiona strengthened into a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 130mph, as it moved away from the Turks and Caicos Islands toward Bermuda on Wednesday morning, per the National Hurricane Center.
The big picture: The storm, which has been linked to at least two deaths in Puerto Rico and another in the Dominican Republic, on Tuesday morning became the first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
The historic heat waves that roasted the U.S. and Europe over the summer may have subsided. But a record marine heat wave is gripping large expanses of the North Atlantic and northern Pacific oceans.
The big picture: It has implications for marine species and extreme weather events, including hurricanes, as climate change exacerbates the problem. NOAA scientists warn it shows no signs of immediately abating.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) requested the Biden administration declare Hurricane Fiona a major disaster Tuesday to unlock more federal aid for recovery efforts.
Driving the news: Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday to meet with the governor, assess the devastation and get a briefing on power restoration efforts, a FEMA spokesperson told Axios.
