Hurricanes are getting so strong in a warming world that a Category 6 intensity should be added to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale, a new study finds.
Why it matters: The research shows how significantly climate change is altering storm intensity and other characteristics, as well as further underscoring the limitations of the scale.
A powerful storm slamming California triggered evacuations and left over 800,000 residents without power into Monday, as forecasters warned "dangerous flooding rains," strong winds and heavy snow would impact central and southern areas for several days.
The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation for eight southern counties, including Los Angeles — which was at "high risk" from potentially deadly flooding during this atmospheric river event that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said had "the potential to be historic."
California's governor proclaimed a state of emergency for eight southern counties as a rapidly intensifying storm off the central coast brought a "high risk" of potentially deadly flooding to Los Angeles Sunday and Monday.
Threat level: It is rare for any major city, let alone a city as large as LA, to be under a high risk for excessive precipitation, but LA is in that category for Sunday and Monday, indicating the prolonged nature of the flood threat.
Empires, alliances and cultural exchanges formed connections between deaf communities around the world that can be traced with a new method for studying sign languages.
Why it matters: There are more than 300 sign languages but they and the communities that use them have been "marginalized, underdocumented and understudied," leaving a gap in understanding about human communication, the researchers write in the journal Science.
