Articles by Seth Borenstein

Borenstein is AP Science Writer.

National Weather Service Upgrades Forecast Model

The National Weather Service has turbocharged its lagging forecast model to better predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards and downpours, as well as day-to-day weather. By including much higher layers of the atmosphere, increased factoring of ocean waves …

Riskiest Counties for Natural Disasters Are Not Always Where People Think

Spending her life in Los Angeles, Morgan Andersen knows natural disasters all too well. In college, an earthquake shook her home hard. Her grandfather was affected by recent wildfires in neighboring Orange County. “It’s just that constant reminder, `Oh yeah, …

Hurricanes Staying Stronger Longer After Landfall Than in Past

Hurricanes are keeping their staying power longer once they make landfall, spreading more inland destruction, according to a new study. Warmer ocean waters from climate change are likely making hurricanes lose power more slowly after landfall, because they act as …

Damage from Whopper Hurricanes Increasing for Many Reasons

America and the world are getting more frequent and bigger multibillion dollar tropical catastrophes like Hurricane Laura because of a combination of increased coastal development, natural climate cycles, reductions in air pollution and man-made climate change, experts say. The list …

‘Uncertainty Is the Only Certainty’ When it Comes to Pandemic Modeling

A statistical model cited by the White House generated a slightly less grim figure Monday for a first wave of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. – a projection designed to help officials plan for the worst, including …

Study Finds El Niños Getting Stronger

Climate change is making stronger El Niños, which change weather worldwide and heat up an already warming planet, a new study finds. Scientists examined 33 El Niños—natural warming of equatorial Pacific that triggers weather extremes across the globe—since 1901. They …

Hurricane Activity Could Pick Up as El Nino Fades, Say Forecasters

Government meteorologists say this year’s hurricane season may be busier than initially expected now that summer’s weak El Nino has faded away. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said Thursday the Atlantic season looks more active than …

Deadly Alabama Tornado Highlights Human Safety Risk Despite Improved Forecasting

Sometimes in forecasting tornadoes, you can get everything technically right, and yet it all goes horribly wrong. Three days before the killer Alabama tornado struck, government severe-storm meteorologists cautioned that conditions could be ripe for twisters in the Southeast March …

Improved Tornado Forecasting Doesn’t Prevent All Deaths

Sometimes in forecasting tornadoes, you can get everything technically right, and yet it all goes horribly wrong. Three days before the killer Alabama tornado struck, government severe-storm meteorologists cautioned that conditions could be ripe for twisters in the Southeast on …

Despite Improved Tornado Forecasting, Deaths Continue

Sometimes in forecasting tornadoes, you can get everything technically right, and yet it all goes horribly wrong. Three days before the killer Alabama tornado struck, government severe-storm meteorologists cautioned that conditions could be ripe for twisters in the Southeast on …