12-May-2025 Civil defense units must invest in professionalization and own resources to face climate risks Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Peer-Reviewed Publication Research proposes action fronts to increase the organizational capacity of these units in municipalities; expanded coordination with other areas is one of the next steps for the sector. Journal International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction Funder Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
12-May-2025 AMS science preview: Heat stress and height, eclipse effects American Meteorological Society Peer-Reviewed Publication Early online research in journals of the American Meteorological Society discusses the increased risk of urban heat stress for children and pets due to radiant heat from sidewalks, the effects of solar eclipse totality on wind and insects, an extension of the climate "warming stripes", thunderstorms and gamma rays, and more.
12-May-2025 Do we need to reassess chemicals? Wiley Peer-Reviewed Publication Are the risks of hazardous chemicals being determined appropriately? In certain cases, apparently not–according to a study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie by a team of Chinese researchers. The study indicates that chlorinated volatile organic compounds on mineral dust particles in the atmosphere can be converted into highly toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans by sunlight. Journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition Funder National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key R&D Plan of Zhejiang Province
12-May-2025 Vortex characteristics of a large-scale Ward-type tornado simulator at Central South University KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. Peer-Reviewed Publication A new large-scale Ward-type tornado simulator has been built at Central South University in 2023. Stationary tornado-like vortices are generated and tested to explore the characteristics of the velocity field and surface pressure field. The results show the significant influence of swirl ratios and little influence of fan speeds on vortex structures. The simulator has the good capability of generating tornado-like vortices. Journal Advances in Wind Engineering Funder National Natural Science Foundation of China, Tencent Foundation
12-May-2025 Improving typhoon intensity forecasting and enhancing climate change prediction accuracy Okayama University of Science Grant and Award Announcement A research team led by Associate Professor Koji Iwano at Okayama University of Science has been awarded the 2025 MEXT Award for Science and Technology for groundbreaking work in improving typhoon forecasting and climate change prediction. By constructing Japan’s only large-scale indoor typhoon simulation tank, the team succeeded in precisely measuring momentum, heat, and CO₂ exchanges at the air-sea interface under extreme wind conditions. Their findings reveal how these transfers shift dramatically beyond wind speeds of 30 m/s, offering critical insights for refining global climate models and developing future typhoon mitigation strategies.
9-May-2025 It’s not just El Niño: New climate phenomenon impacts Hawai‘i rainfall University of Hawaii at Manoa Peer-Reviewed Publication El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is known to have a significant impact on climate across the Pacific, including Hawai‘i, and adjacent continents. However, new research led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa atmospheric scientists revealed that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), another climate pattern that operates in the eastern Pacific Ocean, plays a major role in the variability of rainfall in Hawai‘i. Journal Journal of Climate Funder Hawai'i State Climate Office
9-May-2025 What NASA is learning from the biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center On May 10, 2024, the first G5 or “severe” geomagnetic storm in over two decades hit Earth. The event, named the Gannon storm in memory of leading space weather physicist Jennifer Gannon, did not cause any catastrophic damages. But a year on, key insights from the Gannon storm are helping us understand and prepare for future geomagnetic storms. Journal Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics