New research from Virginia Tech has identified an atmospheric shift that can rapidly trigger “flash droughts” in Puerto Rico, offering insight that could support earlier warning systems and preparedness.

The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, examines how drought conditions on the island can develop within days rather than weeks or months.

Flash drought can take hold in as little as five to 10 days, leaving limited time for response. This can disrupt agriculture, water supplies and ecosystems, increasing the risk of crop losses and water shortages.

Researchers identified a key change in atmospheric behavior as the trigger.

Continue reading Study identifies atmospheric trigger behind flash droughts in Puerto Rico at Meteorological Technology International.

A student on Virginia Tech’s meteorology program is working on a project to improve high-impact flash flood warnings in rural Virginia by studying the density of current National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rain gauges.

Over the past four years, the region has experienced multiple high-impact flooding events that caused widespread damage and loss of life. However, the defining steep terrain in Appalachia complicates how rainfall is measured and monitored as the NOAA rain gauges have strict placement requirements. They need open, flat land with no nearby trees, which is difficult in a region where there are mountains, valleys and forests.

Continue reading New research to improve flash flood warnings in rural Virginia at Meteorological Technology International.

Climate researchers have identified an atmospheric configuration that can trigger intense flash flooding within minutes, according to a study led by the UK Met Office and Newcastle University.

Published in Weather and Climate Extremes, the research examines how certain atmospheric conditions can lead to severe rainfall. The findings may help improve risk identification and early warning systems. They provide new insight into some of the world’s most dangerous flash-flood events and could support efforts to mitigate their impacts.

The team found that the atmosphere can organize into a three-layered structure associated with the rapid development of very heavy rainfall.

Continue reading Study identifies atmospheric warning signs for extreme flash flooding at Meteorological Technology International.

The winners of the 2025 Global Integrated Flood and Drought Management Youth-Led Projects Competition have been announced, with initiatives in Nigeria and Uganda taking home the crown.

The first winner was GreenQuest: Flood Resilience through Gamification and Community Action (Nigeria), which aims to strengthen flood resilience in three high-risk, low-income communities in Lagos – Makoko, Bariga, and Iwaya – by combining gamification, storytelling and hands-on community engagement.

The project seeks to drive behavioral change and improve preparedness by:

• Educating and empowering youth and community members through interactive, game-based learning on flood preparedness, waste management and early warning systems;
• Reducing flood risk in three highly exposed Lagos communities through nature-based solutions, including rain gardens and permeable pavements;
• Mobilizing youth volunteers to promote proper waste disposal and drainage maintenance through clean-up drives and advocacy campaigns;
• Integrating Indigenous knowledge and local expertise to ensure culturally grounded and locally relevant adaptation strategies.

Continue reading Flood resilience projects in Nigeria and Uganda win 2025 youth-led initiative awards at Meteorological Technology International.

New research suggests that Europe could face fewer hailstorms in future, but the ones that do occur may be far more destructive.

A team from the UK Met Office, Newcastle University and the University of Bristol used Europe-wide kilometer-scale climate simulations to assess how global warming could affect hail. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that under a high-emissions scenario (RCP8.5), severe hail is likely to become less common, except potentially for very large hail.

Severe hail has a diameter of 2cm, while a diameter of 5cm or more is considered very large.

Continue reading Study finds climate change may lead to less frequent but more devastating hailstorms in Europe at Meteorological Technology International.

A new report from the WMO indicates that the water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic and extreme, dramatically swinging between deluge and drought, and highlights the impact on economies and society.

The State of Global Water Resources report shows that only about one-third of the global river basins had ‘normal’ conditions in 2024. The rest were either above or below normal – the sixth consecutive year of clear imbalance.

2024 was the third straight year with widespread glacier loss across all regions. Many small-glacier regions have already reached or are about to pass the so-called peak water point, when a glacier’s melting reaches its maximum annual runoff, after which it decreases due to glacier shrinkage.

Continue reading Water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, WMO report suggests at Meteorological Technology International.

Come rain or shine, there is one thing that people in the UK are always ready to talk about – the weather. Whether it is the stereotypical rain that is readily associated with this grey collection of islands at the northwestern edge of Europe, or hot summers like that of 2025, nothing gets the Brits chattering like a good gossip about the weather.

New research conducted by the UK’s Met Office has discovered that people in the UK spend, on average, about 56.6 hours each year talking about the weather. That’s more than two full days out of a calendar 365.

Continue reading “Still raining?”: Met Office reveals UK public’s interest in the weather at Meteorological Technology International.

New research from Texas A&M University has used artificial intelligence to track pollution caused by accidental chemical emissions during weather events such as heavy rain or lightning strikes.

According to the Understanding the effects of natural hazards on chemical emission incidents using machine learning techniques study, an unplanned emissions event or unscheduled maintenance that results in unauthorized emissions of air pollutants is known as a chemical emissions incident. Extreme weather events frequently cause chemical emissions incidents, with some weather conditions causing more incidents than others.

Researchers used AI to analyze chemical emissions incident reports and weather data collected from the Houston area over the past 20 years.

Continue reading Texas A&M University uses AI to show link between weather and pollution at Meteorological Technology International.

A new study from the University of Adelaide has revealed an increase in intense, rapid downpours lasting between 10-60 minutes in the Greater Adelaie region in Australia.

The Analysis of changes in rainfall events in South Australia study, conducted through the Goyder Institute for Water Research and funded by the South Australian Department for Environment and Water, examined decades of data from local weather stations to determine how these high-intensity, short-duration rainfall events have changed over time.

The research showed that these short, sharp rainfall events were becoming more intense – rain is falling in sharper bursts than before – but that yearly rainfall totals were decreasing, meaning the drought conditions are likely to occur more frequently in the future.

Continue reading Research shows increase in short, sharp rainfall in Adelaide at Meteorological Technology International.

Weathernews Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF) and the Hydrometeorological Survey, Technology and Services Center (HMSTS) of the Vietnam National Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (VNMHA) to provide AI-based forecast information for typhoons and heavy rainfall.

The partnership will build on Weathernews Inc’s international cooperative relationship with the Vietnam Department of Meteorology and Hydrology which began in 2015, and will use the highly accurate, high-resolution weather forecasting that the company has developed over many years.

The partners will also use Google’s flood forecasting and cyclone prediction models to help reduce the risk of natural disasters and strengthen resilience in Vietnam.

Continue reading Weathernews Inc. signs MOU with Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration for AI-based typhoon and heavy rain forecasting at Meteorological Technology International.