Feb 17, 2020 - Science

What we know: Deadly Storm Dennis whips at England, Wales and Ireland

Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images.

At least two deaths are being attributed to Storm Dennis on Monday as it continues to strike at parts of England, Wales and Ireland, per AccuWeather.

The big picture: Dennis is the second-strongest nontropical storm ever recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its hurricane-force winds and heavy rains have caused widespread flooding across the United Kingdom. The army has been deployed in the U.K. to help with flood relief.

Flights have been rerouted and canceled due to the storm. Wind speeds reached 80 mph in the United Kingdom on Sunday, with speeds reaching 112 mph in Bealach Na Ba in the Scottish Highlands.
About 320 flood warnings, where fast-flowing or deep floodwater was particularly dangerous, were issued across Britain, including South Wales, on Sunday, the New York Times reports.
The storm has produced 80-foot waves in the Atlantic Ocean, per the Washington Post.
Parts of western mainland Europe have been struck by the storm as well.

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In photos: Deadly Storm Dennis lashes U.K., Ireland and western France

A family is rescued from a property in Nantgarw, Wales, on Sunday. The storm comes a week after the U.K. was battered by storm Ciara, which killed two people, per the BBC. Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Storm Dennis continued to pummel parts of England, Wales and Ireland over Sunday night with heavy rain after battering Northern Ireland and Scotland, per the official British weather agency the Met Office.

Why it matters: It's the second-strongest nontropical storm ever recorded in the North Atlantic Ocean, with its hurricane-force winds and heavy rains that caused widespread flooding across the U.K., the Washington Post notes. Police in Wales confirmed Sunday they found the body of a man who fell into a river as the storm lashed Ystradgynlais.

See photosFeb 17, 2020 - World

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Heavy rain expected to pummel already-flooded Mississippi

This drone photo shows flooding on Feb. 15. Photo: Melvin Martin/Hardin County Fire Department, Savannah, Tennessee, via AP

More rain is expected to barrage Mississippi's already-flooded capital city of Jackson later on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The state of play: Heavy rain is projected to strike eastern Louisiana, central parts of Mississippi, Alabama and even into far western Georgia, the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, predicts, per AP. As much as 2 inches is expected to fall rapidly in Mississippi, prompting flash flood warnings.

Go deeperFeb 18, 2020 - Science

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How climate change helped drive Australia's fires

Residents defend a property from a bushfire at Hillsville near Taree, some 200 miles north of Sydney on Nov. 12, 2019. Photo: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Human-caused climate change helped fuel the weather conditions of Australia's unprecedented bushfires, an international team of climate scientists at the World Weather Attribution group found.

Why it matters: The conditions increased the chances of Australia experiencing extreme fire danger by at least 30%, an estimate researchers told a news briefing was conservative. This is the first time scientists have been able to quantify how climate change has affected the risk of fires, they said.

Go deeperMar 4, 2020 - Energy & Environment