Center for Forecasting and

Hurricane season begins, with the first below-average forecast in a decade

Hurricane season in the Atlantic kicked off Monday, and, for the first time in more than a decade, forecasters expect it to be relatively slow. The below-average forecast is driven by the expectation that a strong El Niño pattern will develop, which is associated with less hurricane formation in the Atlantic. The opposite is true in the Pacific, however, which should have an active season.

Incoming CME could spark impressive northern lights over the northern US tonight

Incoming CME could spark impressive northern lights over the northern US tonight A coronal mass ejection is currently racing toward Earth and could trigger G2 to G3 geomagnetic storm conditions on June 8, potentially boosting aurora displays across northern latitudes. An incoming coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to slam into Earth's magnetic field today (June 8), potentially triggering geomagnetic storm conditions strong enough to supercharge auroras into mid-latitudes. The CME...

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo could top 20,000 cases in worst case, CDC says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda could lead to more than 20,000 cases and over 2,000 deaths in a worst-case scenario, according to a report published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That scenario — modeled using data through May 24, when about 50 deaths had been reported — assumes that only 20% of Ebola patients isolate and that access to vaccines and treatments is limited, the agency said. The outbreak is caused by a rare type...

Antarctic 'sky rivers' deliver up to 90% of snowfall, 3D algorithm suggests

Antarctic 'sky rivers' deliver up to 90% of snowfall, 3D algorithm suggests Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Atmospheric rivers act like "rivers in the sky," shuttling intense bands of warm, heavy moisture from lower to higher latitudes. When an atmospheric river encounters cold air or mountainous terrain, the moisture it carries condenses and falls as heavy rain or snow. In Antarctica, the arrival of an atmospheric river can help build surface ice mass.

Swift thinking buys NASA observatory a little more time before re-entry

SWOT satellite gets clearer ocean data after fix for hidden underwater wave interference

SWOT satellite gets clearer ocean data after fix for hidden underwater wave interference Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Florida State University research published in Science Advances demonstrates a new framework for predicting the motion of kilometer-scale underwater waves that complicate satellite readings of the ocean. By accurately modeling these subsurface waves, scientists can remove their interference from NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography, or...

Private infra, real estate capital to play larger financing role in AI data center boom, Goldman says

Private infra, real estate capital to play larger financing role in AI data center boom, Goldman says June 3 : Private infrastructure and real estate capital are expected to play a larger role in financing the AI-driven data-center boom, as companies move beyond traditional forms of funding, Goldman Sachs said in a note on Tuesday. Goldman increased its combined capex forecast for the four largest hyperscalers - Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet - to $5.3 trillion between fiscal years...

Amazon engineers in Seattle slam employer for building AI data centers while laying off 30,000 staffers

A group of Amazon engineers appeared at Seattle City Council hearings on Wednesday to throw their support behind efforts to regulate the development of giant AI data centers in the area, which are getting constructed while their employer is engaged in mass layoffs. "It's been reported that this year, Amazon is spending $200 billion dollars on capital, with most of it going to data centers and AI," Patrick Schloesser, a software engineer at Amazon Web Services, said at a hearing. "Microsoft...

Walmart shareholders reject proposal to explain AI's impact on 1.6 million employees

Walmart shareholders voted against an investor proposal asking it to report on how its use of AI is affecting the well-being of its employees, according to voting results from the retailer's annual shareholders' meeting. The proposal, filed by investor United for Respect, reportedly asks Walmart to explain how it measures the effect of advanced technologies — like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation — on jobs, pay, training and equity. This is Walmart's first annual meeting since...

Inside the planning and building of a UFC event on...

THE ENORMITY OF the mission ahead -- staging a UFC event at the White House -- started sinking in for Craig Borsari only after multiple UFC-White House meetings culminated in the decision to install a giant portable arena nicknamed "the claw" on the South Lawn. Borsari's boss, UFC chief executive Dana White, had tasked him with the logistics for UFC Freedom 250 and its adjacent fanfest, scheduled for this weekend. The UFC chief content officer, working with a $60 million budget and facing...