Articles by Brian K. Sullivan

Australia Nears Record for Fewest Cyclones Since 1970 – Thanks to El Niño

El Niño is getting some of the credit as Australia nears a record for the fewest tropical cyclones since 1970. “With the end of the season approaching and only three cyclones so far, the 2015-16 Australian region tropical cyclone season …

‘100-Year Floods’ Happen More Often Than People Think

Eleven months ago, Houston had a deadly flood. This week, the city had another. Events like these are often called “100-year floods,” and that can be misleading. The U.S. government began using the term in the 1960s to describe a …

Blizzard Heads Toward U.S. East; Airlines Cancel Flights

A dangerous winter storm will bring snow by the foot to the U.S. mid-Atlantic, including Washington, threatening at least 50 million people in its path while canceling thousands of flights and closing schools and government offices. Washington and Baltimore may …

Floods of Five Rivers Head from Midwest to U.S. Industrial South

Brace yourself, U.S. South. The Mississippi River is coming, and so are the Arkansas, the Red, the Ohio and the Missouri. The water on the Mississippi River is already so high that Missouri has closed interstate highways. Governor Jay Nixon …

El Niño Helps Create Another Record Year for High Temperatures

El Niño is the Earth’s hot, exhaling breath. At least, that’s one way of thinking about it. The blast of heat from deep within the Pacific Ocean will do more in 2015 than just disrupt weather worldwide. It will push …

Many Have Died in ‘Subpar’ Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2015 Atlantic hurricane season may end up being remembered for a subpar number of storms, even though the total still beat early forecasts and more than 50 people died. The season, which also lags behind in terms of overall …

Cyclone-Heavy Hurricane Season Not Over Yet

For a few minutes last Wednesday, there weren’t any hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons or tropical storms anywhere in the world. The respite didn’t last long. Thursday morning, the U.S. Navy and Air Force’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center, along with the Indian …

Atlantic Hurricane Season Enters Final Stretch with No-Hit Record Intact

It has been 10 years since a major hurricane hit the U.S., and as the Atlantic season staggers into its last month, every day that passes seems certain to extend that record streak. Wilma was the last major system, striking …

High-Tech Weather Forecasters Still Rely on Old-Fashioned Balloons

When the latest computer forecast models couldn’t figure out where major Hurricane Joaquin was headed earlier this month, the National Weather Service ordered extra launches of one of its oldest tools — the weather balloon. Twice a day, in what …

With El Nino Warming, Talk Turns to Cool La Nina

Just because the weather-roiling El Nino in the Pacific Ocean is still months from peaking, it doesn’t mean it’s too early to talk about La Nina. La Nina, sometimes thought of as El Nino’s opposite number, is a cooling of …