Jan 29, 2020

Florida cold snap stuns iguanas

Marisa Fernandez

An iguana next to a pond on a golf course. Photo: John McCoy/Getty Images

South Floridians last week had cold weather with unusual repercussions — unconscious iguanas falling from the trees. (This video is worth a watch.)

Driving the news: Temperatures in the 30s and 40s stunned the reptiles but didn't necessarily kill them. Many woke up as temperatures rose again, per the National Weather Service of Miami.

  • Though rare, serious cold snaps of more than three days can be fatal to the lizards.

Why it matters: As average temperatures continue to rise in South Florida, the invasive species' population has increased dramatically in recent years, Bloomberg reports. Southern districts are being forced to assess damages from their presence.

Go deeper: The 2010s were officially the hottest decade on record

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Rebecca Falconer

"Far-reaching" winter storm to impact travel across the U.S.

Fire crews work in snow to put out a house fire in Denver, Colorado. Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

A powerful storm system that's seen temperatures plummet in the Rockies is set to bring heavy rain across the Southeast "and a long stretch of wintry weather from the southern Plains to the interior Northeast," the National Weather Service warns.

What's happening: Per the NWS, the effects of the system will be "far-reaching" and impact travel in a vast area that's likely to affect millions of people. Multiple weather-related crashes have already been reported in Denver — including one fatality, per the Denver Post. The city's temperature fell 58 degrees from a "daily-record-tying high of 74 at 2 p.m. Sunday to 16 degrees by 8 p.m. Monday," the Washington Post notes.

Flashback... In photos: Impact of powerful Thanksgiving storms across the U.S.

Keep ReadingArrowFeb 5, 2020 - Science
Rebecca Falconer

113 animal species need urgent help after Australia's bushfires

Humane Society specialists check an injured Koala rescued from South Australia's Kangaroo Island fires on Jan. 15. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

113 animal species need an "emergency intervention" to help support their recovery after they lost at least 30% of their habitat to Australia's bushfires — and many lost substantially more than that.

Details: That's according to a report released by Australia's Environment Department, which consulted a panel of experts to identify species in need of urgent help — including the koala.

Go deeperArrowFeb 12, 2020 - Energy & Environment
Marisa Fernandez

1.5 billion tons of water evaporates from the Colorado River

The waters of Lake Powell. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

New research blames climate change for more than 1 billion tons of water that has evaporated from the Colorado River, the Washington Post reports.

What's happening: The findings published in Science on Thursday by the U.S. Geological Survey, show the annual flow of the West's vital river is declining due to warmer temperatures, comparable to the annual water consumption of 10 million Americans.

Go deeperArrowFeb 20, 2020 - Energy & Environment