Japan: Severe Storms Hit Ibaraki With Lightning, Hail, and Power Outages 3

Ibaraki Prefecture, located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast, experienced highly unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing intense rain clouds and numerous lightning strikes Thursday afternoon, September 18. By 3:20 p.m., over 20,000 households were reported without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Tornado Advisory for the entire prefecture at 1:06 p.m. Videos shared on social media showed heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning striking the region, highlighting the severity of the storm.

Japan: Severe Storms Hit Ibaraki With Lightning, Hail, and Power Outages 4

Ibaraki Prefecture, located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast, experienced highly unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing intense rain clouds and numerous lightning strikes Thursday afternoon, September 18. By 3:20 p.m., over 20,000 households were reported without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Tornado Advisory for the entire prefecture at 1:06 p.m. Videos shared on social media showed heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning striking the region, highlighting the severity of the storm.

Japan: Severe Storms Hit Ibaraki With Lightning, Hail, and Power Outages 2

Ibaraki Prefecture, located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast, experienced highly unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing intense rain clouds and numerous lightning strikes Thursday afternoon, September 18. By 3:20 p.m., over 20,000 households were reported without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Tornado Advisory for the entire prefecture at 1:06 p.m. Videos shared on social media showed heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning striking the region, highlighting the severity of the storm.

Japan: Severe Storms Hit Ibaraki With Lightning, Hail, and Power Outages

Ibaraki Prefecture, located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast, experienced highly unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing intense rain clouds and numerous lightning strikes Thursday afternoon, September 18. By 3:20 p.m., over 20,000 households were reported without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Tornado Advisory for the entire prefecture at 1:06 p.m. Videos shared on social media showed heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning striking the region, highlighting the severity of the storm.

Japan: Tokyo Hit by Evening Downpours and Flooding After Extreme Heat

On the evening of August 18, heavy rain hit parts of Tokyo, flooding some roads. Severe rain and flood warnings were issued for eastern Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward and western Tama. Earlier the same day, the Kanto region experienced extreme heat, with temperatures soaring above body temperature in several areas, including 39°C recorded in Fuchu City. The intense heat caused highly unstable atmospheric conditions, leading to the rapid development of thunderstorms across the region by the evening.

Canada: Smoke from Wildfires Blankets Skies in Newfoundland and Labrador

As wildfires continue to burn across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, smoke from the blazes created hazy skies in Newfoundland and Labrador on May 5. So far, the fires have scorched more than two million hectares (4.9 million acres), forcing over 33,000 people to evacuate in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

Canada: Smoke from Wildfires Blankets Skies in Newfoundland and Labrador 2

As wildfires continue to burn across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, smoke from the blazes created hazy skies in Newfoundland and Labrador on May 5. So far, the fires have scorched more than two million hectares (4.9 million acres), forcing over 33,000 people to evacuate in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

US: Wildfire Smoke from Canada Darkens Skies, Air Quality Deteriorates

Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted into large portions of the U.S., creating hazy skies and worsening air quality. Wildfires in Canada have burned over two million hectares (4.9 million acres) so far, forcing more than 33,000 people to evacuate in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

US: Wildfire Smoke from Canada Darkens Skies, Air Quality Deteriorates 2

Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted into large portions of the U.S., creating hazy skies and worsening air quality. Wildfires in Canada have burned over two million hectares (4.9 million acres) so far, forcing more than 33,000 people to evacuate in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

US: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Triggers Air Quality Alerts for the Northeast

Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted into the Northeast on Wednesday, June 3, blanketing parts of the region in haze. Air quality alerts were issued for New York City and surrounding areas.

US: Cold Front Brings Blowing Snow And Strong Winds To Montana

A cold front moved into Montana on Monday, February 3, bringing colder temperatures and gusty winds. It caused blowing and drifting snow, reducing visibility in some areas.

US: Snow Falls In Seattle As Winter Weather Sweeps Washington

Winter weather swept through Washington on Monday, February 3, bringing snow to the Seattle area as part of an atmospheric river event.

China: Double Rainbow Graces Skies Over Xizhou Ancient Town In Yunnan

On June 15, 2024, the skies above Xizhou Ancient Town in Dali, Yunnan were adorned with a breathtaking sight: two vivid rainbows against a pale blue backdrop. The atmospheric conditions were perfect, casting a kaleidoscope of colors that radiated throughout the clouds, sculpted into various shapes by the light. The enchanting scene, reminiscent of a scene straight out of a comic book, captivated both locals and tourists alike, drawing them into the slow-paced, picturesque setting. This natural spectacle highlighted the timeless beauty of the area, making it a memorable destination for Chinese visitors.

US: Tornado Sirens Blare In Iowa As Warning Issued For Much Of State

Tornadoes were confirmed in Iowa on Tuesday, April 16 as strong storms ripped through the Midwest, leaving significant damage in some places. The National Weather Service issued either a Tornado Warning or Tornado Watch for much of the state. This video shows tornado sirens blaring in Burlington.

US: Heavy Snowfall Causes Whiteout Conditions In Arizona

A multi-day winter storm dumped heavy snow on central and northern Arizona, causing whiteout conditions in some places and shutting down Interstates 40 and 17 in and around Flagstaff on Thursday, February 8.

China develops cutting-edge observatory on "roof of the world"

STORY: China develops cutting-edge observatory on "roof of the world" DATELINE: May 10, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:42 LOCATION: XINING, China CATEGORY: SCIENCE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Lenghu site 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DENG LICAI, Researcher, National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3. various of AIMS 4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG DONGGUANG, Chief engineer, CAS's Huairou Solar Observing Station of National Astronomical Observatories STORYLINE: Lenghu, on the north side of China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, enjoys the advantages of clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions, and a dry climate, making it one of the world's best astronomical observatory sites. Construction of the Lenghu site started in 2018. Upon its completion, it will house at least nine optical astronomical telescope projects including some 30 telescopes, with an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan (about 289 million U.S. dollars). SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DENG LICAI, Researcher, National Astronomical Ob

Japan braces for heavy snow, warns of traffic disruption

Snow fell in parts of northern and western Japan facing the Sea of Japan as a cold air mass blew into the archipelago Tuesday, with flights canceled and the weather agency warning of heavy snow in other areas and traffic disruption due to frozen roads. Wide areas of the country, including the Pacific side, could see heavy snowfall from Tuesday evening to Wednesday, as low-pressure systems near Hokkaido and south of Japan will bring the coldest air of this winter, making atmospheric conditions extremely unstable, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. As the strong winter patterns are expected to take hold through Thursday, some parts of the country could see their lowest temperatures in a decade, leading to a possibility of snowfall in Tokyo and Osaka, the agency said.

Amazing survival power of water bears

Amazing survival power of water bears

TOKYO, Japan - Water bears, a slow-moving animal measuring less than 1 millimeter in length (photo), can survive extremely high atmospheric pressure equivalent to 75,000 atmospheres, according to experiments conducted by researchers at Okayama University. The eight-legged water bears are known to survive in extreme environmental conditions, such as minus 250 C temperatures, extreme dryness and heavy radiation. Fumihisa Ono, an Okayama University physics professor involved in the project, says researchers applied 75,000 atmospheres of pressure to 20 dried up water bears and found that they all came back to life six hours later when they were given water moisture. Five of them were still alive 12 hours later. Scientists say the cells of most animals die when exposed to more than 3,000 atmospheres. (Photo provided by Fumihisa Ono) (Kyodo)