![]() “So even if, on the off chance, dry lightning decreases in the future, it just takes one outbreak one day in a year to cause a lot of fire and a lot of damage, if that were to happen.” “With warming and drying and drier vegetation, it doesn’t take a whole lot of lightning to start wildfires,” Kalashnikov told CNN. ![]() California firefighters were exhausted that summer, CNN reported at the time, and they were particularly concerned about the potential for more and more fires sparked by dry lightning.Īll of the seven largest fires in California history have occurred in the past five years, and four of those were caused by lightning, according to data from Cal Fire. Those fires merged to become the largest in state history, burning more than a million acres in seven counties. The August Complex Fire was originally more than three dozen fires that were sparked by dry lightning. David McNew/AFP/Getty ImagesĬalifornia's McKinney fire has destroyed nearly 90 homes and is only 40% contained The fire, which is burning in the Klamath National Forest near the border with Oregon, is California's largest this year, having consumed around 56,000 acres (22,600 hectares). At least four people are now known to have died in a wildfire sweeping through California, authorities said on August 2, as they warned the toll from the state's worst blaze this year could rise further. “Even though we don’t have a heat advisory out in those warmest locations, people should keep in mind it’s going to be pretty darn toasty.”Ī heat advisory is in place for the Inland Empire, the Coachella Valley and the Riverside and San Diego county mountains through Thursday, with temperatures in some areas as high as to 115 degrees.īy the weekend, temperatures should drop into the mid-80s and 90s for inland areas, while the coasts will see highs in the 70s or 80s - though increased humidity will make those temperatures feel slightly warmer, Sweet said.A man looks around property where a house was destroyed by the McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest near Yreka, California, on August 3, 2022. “We’re seeing temperatures that are about 5 to 10 degrees above normal,” Sweet said Wednesday. The cooling trend should bring some relief to Southern California’s warmest inland valleys - including the western San Fernando Valley and the Antelope Valley - where highs were expected to peak at about 105 or 106 Wednesday. “We’re expecting a cooling trend into the weekend,” Sweet said. While late summer rainfall is rare in Southern California, Boldt said forecasters believe area riverbeds and dry ground will be able to absorb much of the precipitation, though flash floods could become a concern depending on the speed of the rainfall.Įarly effects from the storm could be felt as early as Thursday, when temperatures should begin to slightly dip as humidity increases, said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. ![]() “Now’s the time to start preparing for all these different potential impacts, especially the heavy rainfall,” Boldt said. Projections show a small chance of tropical storm-force winds - sustained at around 35 mph, with gusts much higher - reaching coastal Los Angeles County and just offshore this weekend. “We could still continue to see heavy thunderstorm activity,” he said. Marked by record-setting heat waves, major wildfires, and melting sea ice, July saw global average temperatures soar 2.02 degrees above average. California July was the planet’s hottest month on record - so far
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |