United States Department of Defense
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
U.S. Military Weather Warfare
Earthquakes / Volcanoes
Tidal Waves / Tsunamis
Hurricanes / Storms
Wildfires / Forest Fires
U.S. Military Weather Terrorism on Political Dates
Videos
U.S. Military Weather Warfare
We Will Bury You. In Mud.
Owning the weather
Is The U.S. Waging Weather Warfare?
Weather Control and National Strategy
By Commander William J. Kotsch, USN
July 1960 | Proceedings | Vol. 86/7/689
Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025
An unclassified Research Paper Presented To Air Force 2025: 2025 is a study designed to comply with a directive from the chief of staff of the Air Force to examine the concepts, capabilities, and technologies the United States will require to remain the dominant air and space force in the future. Presented on 17 June 1996, this report was produced in the Department of Defense school environment of academic freedom and in the interest of advancing concepts related to national defense.
Abstract: In 2025, US aerospace forces can own the weather by capitalizing on emerging technologies and focusing development of those technologies to war fighting applications. Such a capability offers the war fighter tools to shape the battlespace in ways never before possible. It provides opportunities to impact operations across the full spectrum of conflict and is pertinent to all possible futures. The purpose of this paper is to outline a strategy for the use of a future weather modification system to achieve military objectives rather than to provide a detailed technical road map. A high risk, high reward endeavor, weather modification offers a dilemma not unlike the splitting of the atom While some segments of society will always be reluctant to examine controversial issues such as weather modification, the tremendous military capabilities that could result from this field are ignored at our own peril. From enhancing friendly operations or disrupting those of the enemy via small scale tailoring of natural weather patterns to complete dominance of global communications and counterspace control, weather modification offers the war fighter a wide range of possible options to defeat or coerce an adversary. Some of the potential capabilities a weather modification system could provide to a war fighting commander in chief CINC are listed in table 1. Technology advancements in five major areas are necessary for an integrated weather modification capability 1 advanced nonlinear modeling techniques, 2 computational capability, 3 information gathering and transmission, 4 a global sensor array, and 5 weather intervention techniques. Some intervention tools exist today and others may be developed and refined in the future.
Operational Defenses through Weather Control in 2030
ABSTRACT
The United States needs to incorporate the defense against directed energy weapons with the same intensity used developing anti-ballistic missile defenses. One of the major drawbacks to optical or directed energy systems is the inability to penetrate clouds or dense fog. Advances in technology are beginning to bring weather phenomena under our control. Greatly increased computing power and micronized delivery systems will allow us to create specific perturbations in local atmospheric conditions. These perturbations allow for the immediate and lasting ability to create localized fog or stratus cloud formations shielding critical assets against attack from energy based weapons. The future of nanotechnology will enable creation of stratus cloud formations to defeat DEW and optically targeted attacks on United Sates assets. The solution the weather control problem involves networked miniature balloons feeding and receiving data from a four-dimensional variation (4d-Var) computer model through a sensor and actor network. A network of diamond-walled balloons enters the area to be changed and then both measures and affects localized temperature and vapor content. This system effectively shortens the control loop of an atmospheric system to the point it can be managed. The capabilities in the diamond-walled balloons are based on the future of nanotechnology.
‘To Prostitute the Elements’: Weather Control and Weaponisation by US Department of Defense
The US military has a long and robust history of scientific research programs, often conducted in conjunction with civilian scientists at non-military governmental agencies as well as universities. These programs flourished in the immediate post-Second World War and the early cold war years, as the field of military science expanded to address the sprawling Soviet threat. One area of growth was in atmospheric science, which had already taken off preceding Second World War in conjunction with the growth of air warfare. Advances in meteorology, cloud science and climatology enabled military interests to align with weather forecasters and also agricultural interests, as old ideas about cloud seeding and weather control were revived in the light of new research. The military, largely through the Air Force, advanced a series of projects investigating the potential of weather and climate control, manipulation, and ultimately weaponisation. These programs, which were sometimes linked to US Department of Agriculture programs aimed at improving agricultural production, persisted for decades. Some of the newly developed tools were deployed: local climate manipulation efforts during the Vietnam conflict were aimed at impeding traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, with mixed results. Significant efforts came during the Weather Bureau leadership of Francis W. Reichelderfer, whose papers contain a wealth of information about efforts ranging from cloud seeding to proposals to drop atomic weapons on hurricanes. These papers, along with those of Weather Bureau scientist Harry Wexler, provide a fascinating window to a time when the US military and scientific establishment seemed poised to grasp the levers of power over nature itself. This paper describes these little-studied programs, and situates these efforts within the broader military science programs accompanying the emergence of air warfare, as well as post-war science programs aimed at countering the Soviet challenge.
FOIA Reveals U.S. Air Force Paper “Counterforce Weather Control: SPACECAST 2020”
Subject and Problem Statement
This paper proposes a counferforce weather control system (with both space and ground based segments) and identifies the prerequisites necessary for such a system to be feasible. Atmospheric scientists have pursued terrestrial weather modification in earnest since the 1940s, but have made little progress because of scientific complexities, legal battles, social concerns, and the intricacies of control at the local, national, and international governmental levels. Developing a space-based weather control system for military applications enormously compounds this already difficult problem. The costs and risks are extremely high. However, the potential benefits to military powers are even higher; subsequently, military powers will periodically be inspired to investigate the feasibility of a weather control system.This conceptual counterforce weather control system is developed through a three stage predictive analysis technique:
- conceptualize a desired end state (ability to control weather, at will, as a principle of war),
- hypothesize the preconditions to achieve that end state, and
- develop measures of effectiveness which indicate progress toward that end state.
The desired end state is limited only by imagination. For example, envision the capability to accomplish the following objectives:
- “bore a hole” through a cloud to allow unrestricted surveillance of an enemy target (figure l ),
- create an atmospheric event over an enemy airfield so as to ground all their aircraft (i.e., thick fog or severe thunderstorm), and
- create a weather pattern that obscures your military movement from the enemy
Earthquakes / Volcanoes
The earthquake bomb, or seismic bomb, was a concept that was invented by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis early in World War II and subsequently developed and used during the war against strategic targets in Europe.[1] A seismic bomb differs somewhat in concept from a traditional bomb, which usually explodes at or near the surface and destroys its target directly by explosive force; in contrast, a seismic bomb is dropped from high altitude to attain very high speed as it falls and upon impact, penetrates and explodes deep underground, causing massive caverns or craters known as camouflets, as well as intense shockwaves. In this way, the seismic bomb can affect targets that are too massive to be affected by a conventional bomb, as well as damage or destroy difficult targets such as bridges and viaducts.
Earthquake bombs were used towards the end of World War II on massively reinforced installations, such as submarine pens with concrete walls several meters thick, caverns, tunnels, and bridges.[2]
Project Mercury-18 (1987)
Project Volcano (1988)
Russian Documents Set Out ‘Tectonic Weapon’ Research
https://www.proquest.com/docview/204458724
According to documents obtained by the newspaper “Moscow News,” the former Soviet Union and the government of Russia had two research programs aimed at creating new earthquake epicenters by using underground nuclear explosions.
Despite the UN convention, in the secret geophysical laboratories of Japan, the United States and South Africa, systematic work is underway to develop weapons of mass destruction – tectonic weapons capable of causing devastating earthquakes in the right place and at the right time. The scientific basis for these developments was the top-secret program of the Soviet military-industrial complex “Mercury-18” (NIR No. 2M 08614PK), the results of which fell into the hands of the Japanese residency. In the interests of public safety, today we are forced to release the “top secret” documents of the Department of Defense, which we managed to obtain as a result of a seven-year journalistic investigation.
KERIMOV, THE FATHER OF TECTONIC WEAPONS
“The first official details have emerged in Moscow of ambitious research into ‘tectonic warfare’ carried out by the former Soviet Union and subsequently by the government of Russia, and involving attempts to stimulate ‘artificial’ earthquakes as weapons of destruction. According to documents obtained by the newspaper Moscow News, two research programmes, the first known as ‘Mercury’ and the second as ‘Volcano’, were aimed at creating new earthquake epicentres by using underground nuclear explosions. Geophysicists are aware that impending earthquakes may be triggered by underground nuclear explosions. But Western geophysicists remain sceptical about tectonic warfare and have all but abandoned research after two unsuccessful phases of activity in the 1960s and 1980s, says Roger Clark, a lecturer in geophysics at the University of Leeds….The programme, which was secretly launched by the Communist rulers of the former Soviet Union in 1987, and has been unofficially known to Western geophysicists for several years, is now believed to have been abandoned. It would certainly contravene the terms of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which Russia signed at the United Nations in Geneva last month.The Mercury project was launched in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, but came to a halt when the republic became independent. It was superseded by the Volcano project. Three underground nuclear tests are believed to have taken place at sites in Kyrgyzstan. According to the documents, the Mercury project was launched by a secret decree of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union. The objective was to “develop a methodology for remote operation on an earthquake epicentre by using weak seismic fields and research possibilities of transferring the seismic energy of an explosion”. The documents say that the Mercury project involved 22 scientific and industrial organizations, including the Geological Institute of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences in Baku. The remit extended to developing the electronic equipment to be installed aboard space satellites that would control the tectonic weapon. It continues:
“During the research phase, Azerbaijani scientists grew increasingly confident and, according to the documents, were sure that “after [a] nuclear explosion, subterranean energy may accumulate at huge distances from the epicentre and reach massive capacity, after which the next directed explosion can release it all”. Underground testing began at the town of Batken in Kyrgyzstan, and was directed by lkram Kerimov, of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences. The documents say that scientists detonated an underground nuclear charge and tried to control the direction of seismic energy released using British-built equipment known as ‘system 9690’. A report prepared by the Mozhaisky Military Engineering Institute concluded that the test had been a success. But progress slowed considerably following Azerbaijan’s independence from the Soviet Union. At about this time, Russia embarked on a more comprehensive tectonic warfare programme known as the Volcano project (hints were made else where this was linked to an idea to nuke Yellow Stone USA with setting off US seismic faults editor note). The Earth Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) became the project headquarters. Research was scheduled to be completed in 1992, with underground testing beginning the following year. The final test was carried out at a place code-named S36NZ-0Kh; Moscow News believes the letters ‘NZ’ refer to Novaya Zemlya, where Soviet nuclear testing began in the 1950s at the time projects like New Zealand SEAL & Prime Star Fish involving kiwi scientist William Pickering were exploring how earth itself may be weaponised.
Tidal Waves / Tsunamis
The tsunami bomb was an attempt during World War II to develop a tectonic weapon that could create destructive tsunamis. The project commenced after US Navy officer E.A. Gibson noticed small waves generated by explosions used to clear coral reefs. The idea was developed by the United States and New Zealand military in a programme code named Project Seal.[1] The weapons concept was deemed feasible, but the weapons themselves were never fully developed or used. A related concept, the bouncing bomb was developed and used in World War II, to be dropped into water as a means to destroy German dams and cause loss of industrial capacity and widespread flooding.
Tests were conducted by Professor Thomas Leech, of the University of Auckland, in Whangaparaoa off the coast of Auckland and off New Caledonia[1] between 1944 and 1945. British and US defence chiefs were eager to see it developed, and it was considered potentially as important as the atomic bomb. It was expected to cause massive damage to coastal cities or coastal defences.
The weapon was only tested using small explosions and never on a full scale. 3,700 test explosions[1] were conducted over a seven-month period. The tests revealed that a single explosion would not produce a tsunami, but concluded that a line of 2,000,000 kg (4,400,000 lb) of explosives about 8 km (5.0 mi) off the coast could create a destructive wave.[1]
Details of the experiments codenamed “Project Seal” were released to the public by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1999 and are available at Archives New Zealand in Wellington and at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives in San Diego, California.[2][3]
Mariana Trench Explosion
What if you exploded a nuclear bomb (say, the Tsar Bomba) at the bottom of the Marianas Trench?
Water Waves Generated by Underwater Explosions – Defense Nuclear Agency
Watch the Navy Blast Its Carrier With a 40,000-Pound Explosive—and Cause an Earthquake
U.S. Navy Uses Explosives to Test U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, Causing 3.9 Magnitude Earthquake
Tsunami (Tidal Wave) Disasters and the U.S. Navy
By far, the most destructive tsunamis are generated from large, shallow earthquakes with an epicenter or fault line near or on the ocean floor. These usually occur in regions of the earth along active tectonic plate boundaries, particularly along the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” – a circle of active tectonic plate boundaries stretching from Indonesia to Japan, to the Aleutian Islands, to the west coast of North America and south all the way to Chile – but also in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans as well. Not all earthquakes generate tsunamis, since it usually takes an earthquake with a Richter magnitude exceeding 7.5 to produce a destructive tsunami. On 26 December 2004 a megathrust earthquake (9.0 Richter scale) occurred along the India-Burma plates was such an event, in which an estimated 750 miles (1,200 km) of fault line slipped 60 feet (20 m) and vertically raised the Burma plate a few meters. The resulting shockwave caused massive waves that killed an estimated 227,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and other locations in the Indian Ocean basin, making it the most lethal tsunami in recorded history.
Hurricanes / Storms
The 2020 Hurricane Season in Rewind
There have been 30 named storms this year, and 13 of them were hurricanes. It’s the most active Atlantic season on record.
Project Cirrus was the first attempt to modify a hurricane. It was a collaboration of the General Electric Corporation, the US Army Signal Corps, the Office of Naval Research, and the US Air Force.[1] After several preparations and initial skepticism by government scientists,[6] the first attempt to modify a hurricane began on October 13, 1947 on a hurricane that was heading west to east and out to sea.[5]
The project’s two B-17 and a B-29 of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance group were dispatched from MacDill Field, Florida, to intercept the hurricane.[7] The seeding B-17 flew along the rainbands of the hurricane, and dropped nearly 180 pounds (82 kilograms) of crushed dry ice into the clouds.[1] The crew reported “Pronounced modification of the cloud deck seeded”.[5] It is not known if that was due to the seeding. Next, the hurricane changed direction and made landfall near Savannah, Georgia. The public blamed the seeding, and Irving Langmuir claimed that the reversal had been caused by human intervention.[6] Cirrus was canceled,[5] and lawsuits were threatened. This disaster set back the cause of seeding hurricanes for eleven years.
At first the seeding was officially denied and it took years before the government admitted it. According to the Sept. 12, 1965 edition of the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel, in 1947 a hurricane “went whacky” and “Twelve years later it was admitted the storm had in fact been seeded.“[8]
Project Cumulus was a 1950s UK government initiative to investigate weather manipulation, in particular through cloud seeding experiments. Known jokingly internally as Operation Witch Doctor,[1] the project was operational between 1949 and 1952. A conspiracy theory has circulated claiming that the Lynmouth Flood was caused by Project Cumulus.
On 16 August 1952 a severe flood occurred in the town of Lynmouth in north Devon. Nine inches (229 millimetres) of rain fell within twenty-four hours:[2] “Ninety million tonnes of water swept down the narrow valley into Lynmouth” and the East Lyn River rose rapidly and burst its banks.[3] Thirty-four people died and many buildings and bridges were seriously damaged. According to the BBC, “North Devon experienced 250 times the normal August rainfall in 1952.”[3]
A conspiracy theory has circulated that the flood was caused by secret cloud seeding experiments conducted by the Royal Air Force.[1][4][5]
The objective of Project BATON was the analysis of the life history of thunderstorms. A Department of Defense research activity supported by the Advanced Research Project Agency, Project BATON sought to expand understanding of storm physics as an aid to weather forecasting, fire prevention, and, possibly, for artificially controlling the weather. Dr. Helmut Weickmann, as an employee of the U.S, Army Signal Research and Development Laboratory, and Dr. Paul MacCready of Meteorology Research, Inc., were joint leaders of the Project BATON team.[11]
During the 1962 July–August storm season in Flagstaff, Arizona, the scientists selected “guinea pig” storms and seeded them with chemicals. Effects were thoroughly analyzed from the ground and from the air with time-lapse motion picture cameras, stereo still cameras, storm radar, lightning detectors, and airborne heat sensors. Among the agents inserted in selected clouds were “condensation nuclei” which temporarily increased the number of water droplets in the cloud, and pulverized dry ice, which turns a portion of the cloud to fine snow crystals that remain aloft. The utilization of these agents facilitated study of a storm’s characteristics.[11]
Operation Popeye (Project Controlled Weather Popeye / Motorpool / Intermediary-Compatriot) was a military cloud-seeding project carried out by the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War in 1967–1972. The highly classified program attempted to extend the monsoon season over specific areas of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in order to disrupt North Vietnamese military supplies by softening road surfaces and causing landslides.
The former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, was aware that there might be objections raised by the international scientific community but said in a memo to the president that such objections had not in the past been a basis for prevention of military activities considered to be in the interests of U.S. national security.
The chemical weather modification program was conducted from Thailand over Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and allegedly sponsored by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the CIA without the authorization of then Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, who had categorically denied to Congress that a program for modification of the weather for use as a tactical weapon even existed.[1]
Project Stormfury was an attempt to weaken tropical cyclones by flying aircraft into them and seeding with silver iodide. The project was run by the United States Government from 1962 to 1983. The hypothesis was that the silver iodide would cause supercooled water in the storm to freeze, disrupting the inner structure of the hurricane, and this led to seeding several Atlantic hurricanes. However, it was later shown that this hypothesis was incorrect. It was determined that most hurricanes do not contain enough supercooled water for cloud seeding to be effective. Additionally, researchers found that unseeded hurricanes often undergo the same structural changes that were expected from seeded hurricanes. This finding called Stormfury’s successes into question, as the changes reported now had a natural explanation.
The last experimental flight was flown in 1971, due to a lack of candidate storms and a changeover in NOAA‘s fleet. Project Stormfury was officially canceled more than a decade after the last modification experiment. Although the project failed to achieve its goal of reducing the destructiveness of hurricanes, its observational data and storm lifecycle research helped improve meteorologists’ ability to forecast the movement and intensity of hurricanes.
Wildfires / Forest Fires
Record Wildfires on the West Coast Are Capping a Disastrous Decade
Major fires exploded across Washington, Oregon and California earlier this month. They have added up to the worst fire season on record. This season is part of a long-term trend toward more frequent, more devastating fires in the West that shows no sign of slowing down.
Smokejumpers CIA National Association
The Little-Known Stories of Smokejumpers Working with the CIA
Smokejumpers and the CIA, by National Smokejumper Association
CIA Ties to Forest Service Smokejumpers Documented in New Account
After more than 50 Years, CIA Smokejumpers Honored for Secret Missions
Smokejumpers worked for the CIA (Agency) over a 25-plus year period. Beginning in the spring of 1951, the CIA sent two agents to the Smokejumper base at Nine Mile, Montana, to be trained to parachute into mountainous and isolated terrain. The agents apparently reported back that there was a cadre of men already trained and willing to take on whatever the Agency wanted done. Ten Smokejumpers were recruited and went to work for the Agency that year. Seven of those Smokejumpers went to Taiwan where they trained National Chinese paratroopers and were involved in cargo drops deep into the mainland. In later years, jumpers moved on to Tibet to drop men and equipment to local forces fighting against Chinese occupation. Besides operations in Guatemala and the Bay of Pigs, Smokejumpers also took part in the Congo, India, and the 15-year “Secret War” in Laos. The CIA had realized in Smokejumpers men who were problem solvers and could get the job done under the most difficult circumstances.
U.S. Military Weather Terrorism on Political Dates
Trump Says ‘America’s Decline Is Over’ as He Returns to Office
President Trump took the oath of office for the second time and was sworn in as the 47th president. He laid out a sweeping agenda and declared that the country’s golden age“begins now.”
As Brutal Cold Settles Across U.S., Gulf Coast Braces for Rare Winter Storm
Snow and sleet started falling in Texas as officials begin to close schools and airports. Snow and ice could bring major travel disruptions and power outages from Texas to Florida.
Four Years After Capitol Riot, Congress Certifies Trump’s Victory Peacefully
Vice President Kamala D. Harris presided over the certification of her own loss without disputing it, and Democrats made no move to challenge the results.
Winter Storm Blankets the East Coast, With Arctic Air on Its Heels
Hazardous snow, sleet and freezing rain disrupted travel plans and caused power outages in the Mid-Atlantic region, as bitter cold set in.
Donald Trump Returns to Power, Ushering in New Era of Uncertainty
He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. His victory signaled the advent of
isolationism, sweeping tariffs and score settling.
Rapidly Moving Brush Fire in California Burns Homes and Prompts Evacuations
Firefighters were working to contain fires in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties amid dangerous weather conditions.
Debate Live Updates: Harris Put Trump on Defensive, and Kept Him There
Vice President Kamala Harris shook the hand of former President Donald J. Trump as she walked onstage, then spent the next 90 minutes making every effort to burrow under his skin.
Live Updates: Slight Cooling Aids Fight Against Fires Near L.A.
Three major wildfires were burning in Southern California, fueled by dry vegetation and a heat wave that was just beginning to taper off. Other blazes threatened more Western states.
Wildfire Erupts in Orange County, Forcing Evacuations
A small brush fire in Southern California quickly grew to over 5,000 acres, threatening nearby suburban neighborhoods.
Judge Delays Trump’s Sentencing Until Nov. 26, After Election Day
The decision by Justice Juan M. Merchan means voters will be left in the dark about whether the former president will face time behind bars.
100 Degrees at Midnight: California Coast Swelters in ‘Concerning’ Heat
Temperatures in the region were forecast to remain high into the weekend, with more than 31 million people under excessive heat warnings.
Typhoon Yagi Approaches Vietnam After Pummeling Southern China
The storm is on track to become the most powerful to make landfall in northern Vietnam, where one person has died. Two were killed on the Chinese island of Hainan.
Special Counsel Revises Trump Election Indictment to Address Immunity Ruling
Jack Smith’s filing, in the case charging the former president with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, came in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling giving former presidents broad immunity.
The World’s Largest Wetland Is Burning, and Rare Animals Are Dying
In Brazil, wildfires have roared across the Pantanal, a maze of rivers, forests and marshlands that sprawl over an area 20 times the size of the Everglades.
Dangerous Heat Returns to Central and Eastern U.S. This Week
High heat and humidity could make it feel like 115 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country this week, forecasters warned.
Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race and Endorses Harris
After intense pressure from within his own party, President Biden said he was ending his campaign and backing Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his place. Ms. Harris said she would seek the nomination, adding: “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”
The Northwest Bakes as the Region Faces Hotter, Longer Heat Waves
Inland areas farther from the coast are facing particularly dangerous conditions this weekend, forecasters say.
Pacific Northwest Faces Critical Fire Risk as Wildfires Burn
About 620,000 people were under fire danger warnings on Sunday as a heat wave hit the region and several large blazes burned in Oregon.
Judge Dismisses Classified Documents Case Against Trump
Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the entire case should be thrown out because the appointment of the special counsel who brought the case, Jack Smith, had violated the Constitution. Mr. Smith’s office said he would appeal.
Several Tornadoes Reported in Illinois as Storm Moves to Indiana
More than 13 million people were under tornado warning or watch alerts on Monday night in Chicago, and parts of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Reactions and Highlights of the Supreme Court Decision on Trump’s Immunity
The ruling makes a distinction between official actions of a president, which have immunity, and those of a private citizen. In dissent, the court’s liberals lament a vast expansion of presidential power.
Tropical Storm Chris Makes Landfall in Eastern Mexico
The tropical cyclone, the third named storm in the Atlantic season, formed quickly on Sunday and dissipated by Monday morning.
After Ravaging Eastern Caribbean, Hurricane Beryl Moves Toward Jamaica
The storm, now a Category 4 hurricane, left extreme damage in its wake as it headed toward Jamaica.
Jury Begins Deciding Trump’s Fate in Hush-Money Case
Twelve New Yorkers have begun deliberations on the 34 felony counts against Donald Trump in the first criminal trial of an American president. He is accused of falsifying business records in connection with a payment to a porn star.
Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case
Donald J. Trump, the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a case stemming from a payment that silenced a porn star.
Volcano in Iceland Erupts for Fifth Time Since December
A volcano in southwestern Iceland sent glowing hot lava shooting more than 50 metres into the air on Wednesday, its fifth eruption since December and the most powerful one since its volcanic system became active three years ago.
New Delhi Sweats Through Its Hottest Recorded Day
For weeks now, temperatures in several states in northern India have been well over 110, and hospitals have been reporting a rise in heatstroke.
Stormy Daniels, Who Told of Sex With Trump, Returns to Stand on Thursday
The porn star at the center of the ex-president’s criminal trial testified about their encounter at a golf tournament in 2006, a meeting that could shape American history.
Severe Storms Batter Midwest, Damaging Buildings in Michigan
Tornadoes were reported on Tuesday night in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. In Kalamazoo County, Mich., nearly 200 homes in a mobile park were damaged.
Rolling Blackouts Hit Several Cities as Heat Wave Scorches Mexico
Cities were plunged into darkness as scorching temperatures strained the national energy grid.
Jurors in Trump Trial Hear Witness Tie the President to the Payment
Before prosecutors began presenting crucial records, the judge held Donald J. Trump in contempt, saying his complaints about the jury were “a direct attack on the rule of law.”
Several Tornadoes Reported as Severe Weather Batters Central and Southern U.S.
As of Monday evening, eight tornadoes had been reported across Oklahoma and other states and millions of people remained under tornado watches, forecasters said, as they issued a rare high-level warning.
Trump Jurors Hear How Seamy Hush-Money Deals Were Made
Keith Davidson, a lawyer for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, will resume testimony on Thursday.
Tornado Destroys Homes, Kills at Least One in Kansas
A powerful tornado ripped through a community in northeastern Kansas on Tuesday afternoon, destroying dozens of homes and structures and killing at least one person, officials said.
Conservative Justices Appear Poised to Rule Ex-Presidents Have Some Level of Immunity
Such a ruling would probably send the case back to a lower court and could delay any trial until after the November election.
Severe Weather, Including Hail, Begins to Batter the Central U.S.
At least three tornadoes were reported. Areas from Southern Texas to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula could see storms through the weekend.
Jury of 12 Is Seated in Trump Criminal Trial
Twelve New Yorkers have been chosen to decide the Manhattan criminal case against Donald J. Trump, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal.
Heavy Rain and Floods Kill 19 in Oman and Disrupt Dubai Airport
A year’s worth of rain fell in one day in some areas across Oman and the United Arab Emirates, bringing cities to a standstill.
Mount Ruang Erupts in Indonesia, Spewing Lava Thousands of Feet Into the Sky
Hundreds of earthquakes were detected in the weeks preceding the eruption of the volcano in North Sulawesi province. Hundreds of people were evacuated.
Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Using Obstruction Law to Charge Jan. 6 Rioters
The justices considered the gravity of the assault and whether prosecutors have been stretching the law to reach members of the mob responsible for the attack.
A Year’s Worth of Rain Fell in Dubai on a Single Day
The United Arab Emirates had its largest rainfall in 75 years as a year’s worth of rain fell in Dubai alone, temporarily halting flights. More rain is expected into Wednesday.
No Jurors Picked on First Day of Trump’s Manhattan Criminal Trial
Donald J. Trump faces charges he falsified business records to cover up a sex scandal while serving as president. More than half of the first group of prospective jurors was dismissed almost immediately.
The Trump Trial: A Monumental Moment
With Donald J. Trump expected in court today to face criminal charges, we are entering uncharted territory, our criminal justice reporter says.
Severe Storms Expected in the Plains and Midwest
Large hail, damaging winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes are expected on Monday in the Plains before moving into the Midwest on Tuesday.
Trump Loses His Third Try in a Week to Delay Manhattan Trial
Donald J. Trump was turned down when he asked an appeals court — again — to stave off his prosecution on charges that he faked business records to cover up a sex scandal.
Trump’s Ex-Finance Chief Is Sentenced to 5 Months in Rikers for Perjury
Allen H. Weisselberg admitted that he had lied about helping Donald J. Trump inflate his net worth to win favorable loan terms.
Ocean Heat Has Shattered Records for More Than a Year. What’s Happening?
There have been record temperatures every day for more than a year. Scientists are investigating what’s behind the extraordinary measurements.
Tornadoes and Floods Batter Gulf Coast States
Storms were moving east, setting off numerous warnings and watches from Texas to Florida. There were reports of tornadoes in Louisiana and Texas, with one person killed in a Mississippi storm.
Floods Batter Russia and Kazakhstan, Forcing Tens of Thousands to Evacuate
More than 100,000 people had to leave their homes after spring floods engulfed cities and villages in vast sections of neighboring countries.
Trump’s Attempt to Delay Trial Is Denied by Appeals Court Judge
Donald Trump could try to have his request reviewed by a full judicial panel, but the opening of his case remains scheduled for Monday.
Judge Blocks Trump’s Lawyers From Naming Witnesses in Documents Case
The special counsel had asked that the names of about two dozen government witnesses be redacted from a public version of a court filing to protect against potential threats or harassment.
Abortion Jumps to the Center of Arizona’s Key 2024 Races
Democrats quickly aimed to capitalize on a ruling by the state’s highest court upholding an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions.
Mount Etna Puffs Perfect Smoke Rings Into Sicilian Sky
The volcano, one of Europe’s most active, has been spewing volcanic vortex rings at a rapid pace. But that doesn’t mean a big explosion is on the way, one expert says.
New York Attorney General Questions Trump’s $175 Million Bond Deal
Letitia James said in court papers that the California company providing the guarantee was not qualified to do such deals in New York.
Judge Rejects Trump Dismissal Effort in Classified Documents Case
Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the former president cannot escape prosecution by arguing that the Presidential Records Act allowed him to claim secret government material as his own property.
Georgia Judge Rejects Effort to Dismiss Trump Case on Free Speech Grounds
The defense had argued that some of the charges were based on statements Donald Trump and his co-defendants made in 2020 that were constitutionally protected.
Storm Brings Heavy, Wet Snow and Strong Winds to New England
The storm system disrupted travel across much of the region and left more than 500,000 utility customers without power on Thursday.
Judge Won’t Delay Trump’s Criminal Trial to Wait for Immunity Ruling
The former president had asked the judge to push back his Manhattan criminal trial, slated to begin April 15, until after the Supreme Court decides whether he is immune from prosecution.
Taiwan’s Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years Kills 9 and Injures Hundreds
The magnitude-7.4 quake was followed by more than 200 aftershocks. Dozens of people were trapped. Two buildings in the city of Hualien teetered perilously.
Big Sur Urged to Evacuate as Another Storm Approaches
Officials are advising people to leave one of the nation’s most scenic coastal stretches before rain washes away more of Highway 1.
– On March 25, 2024, a New York appeals court lowered the bond amount in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case to $175 million, and a judge set the start date for Donald Trump’s first New York criminal trial for April 15, 2024.
– On the same day, the New York Times published an article about the upcoming total solar eclipse in the United States on April 8, 2024.
Trump’s Bond in Civil Fraud Case Is Reduced to $175 Million
The former president was racing to secure a half-billion-dollar bond, but an appeals court lowered the amount. The surprise decision may help him stave off financial disaster.
Trump Criminal Trial Is Set for April 15 as His Attempt at Delay Fails
Donald Trump is poised to become the first ex-president to go on trial on criminal charges, in a case related to hush money paid to a porn star.
Maps of the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
On April 8, the moon will slip between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow across a swath of North America: a total solar eclipse.
– On March 18, 2024, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawyers made a court filing that said he was unable to secure a bond for the $454 million judgment in his New York civil fraud trial.
– Two days before, a volcano erupted in Iceland.
Trump Spurned by 30 Companies as He Seeks Bond in $454 Million Judgment
Donald J. Trump’s lawyers said in a court filing that he faces “insurmountable difficulties” as he tries to raise cash for the civil fraud penalty he faces in New York.
Iceland Volcano Erupts in Plumes of Fire With Little Notice
The authorities said the eruption on Saturday night was the most powerful of a series that started in December.
– On March 15, 2024, the judge in the Georgia election interference case against ex-U.S. President Donald Trump forced lawyer Nathan Wade to resign from the prosecution team.
– The day before, tornadoes occurred in the Midwestern United States, killing 3.
Nathan Wade Resigns From Trump Case After Judge’s Ruling
The romance between District Attorney Fani T. Willis and Mr. Wade, the lawyer she hired to manage the Georgia election case, created an “appearance of impropriety,” the judge said.
Highlights of the Judge’s Decision in the Georgia Trump Case
The district attorney, Fani T. Willis, was given two choices: have her ex-boyfriend withdraw from the prosecution team or step aside herself.
Three Killed and Several Injured After Reports of Tornadoes in the Midwest
A storm ripped through a mobile home community in eastern Indiana. Tornadoes were also reported in Ohio and Kentucky.
– On March 14, 2024, the judge in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Florida federal classified documents case denied his motion to dismiss.
– On the same day, a snowstorm occurred in Colorado state, causing flight cancellations, road closures, and power outages.
Judge Denies One of Trump’s Efforts to Derail Documents Case
With the former president in attendance, Judge Aileen Cannon held a hearing in federal court in Florida to weigh some of Donald Trump’s motions to have the classified documents case dismissed.
Colorado Snowstorm Causes Flight Cancellations, Road Closures and Power Outages
Snow is typical for the state this time of the year, said a forecaster, who called the amount abnormal, but not overly so.
– On March 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado state could not remove ex-U.S. President Donald Trump from its Republican presidential ballot through the 14th amendment, U.S. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley won the Washington, D.C. Republican presidential primary, and ex-Trump Organization C.F.O. Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to perjury in New York state court.
– On the same day, the New York Times published two articles about Canada wildfires and Texas state wildfires.
Trump Prevails in Supreme Court Challenge to His Eligibility
The justices ruled that the 14th Amendment did not allow Colorado to bar the former president from the state’s primary ballot.
Haley wins the primary in Washington, D.C., ending Trump’s streak.
Key Figure in Trump’s Business Pleads Guilty to Felony Perjury
Allen H. Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization finance chief, has already spent time at the Rikers Island jail complex. The perjury plea will send him back.
As ‘Zombie Fires’ Smolder, Canada Braces for Another Season of Flames
A government forecast suggests that there could be even more wildfires this season than during last year’s exceptional fire period.
In Texas’ Largest Fire, a Race to Save Animals Big and Small
An elite team of veterinarians is helping to save cows, horses, donkeys, cats and dogs. “There’s been so much devastation,” one said.
– On March 1, 2024, a judge held a hearing for the trial date in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Florida federal classified documents case, a judge held a hearing in the disqualification of the prosecutor in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case, and lawsuits were filed to stop the merger of ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media company.
– On the same day, wildfires occurred in Texas state and a snowstorm occurred in California.
Judge Considers Timing of Trump Classified Documents Trial
Judge Aileen Cannon previously indicated that she would push back the start of the proceeding from the initially planned date in May. Prosecutors want to begin in July, and the former president in August.
Trump Lawyer Argues ‘Appearance of Impropriety’ Is Enough to Disqualify Prosecutor
Lawyers are summing up their arguments about whether the prosecutor Fani Willis has a conflict of interest and should be disqualified from the Georgia election interference case.
Lawsuits Threaten to Delay Trump Media’s Merger
Lawsuits could stall Trump Media’s long-delayed merger, which would provide the social media company with cash to fund Donald J. Trump’s Truth Social.
Dry Winds Could Spread Texas Wildfires Over the Weekend
A small amount of rain and snow slowed the spread on Friday of the biggest wildfire on record in state history, but warm, dry, windy conditions were forecast to return on Saturday.
Major Snowstorm Starts to Pound Mountains Around Lake Tahoe
Forecasters issued rare blizzard warnings as heavy, wind-driven snow began to halt travel and force ski resorts and Yosemite National Park to close.
– On February 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court set a hearing date for ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s immunity claim in his Washingon, D.C. federal election interference case, a judge rejected ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to delay the $454 million penalty in his New York civil fraud case, a judge ordered for ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Illinois Republican presidential primary ballot, an envelope containing white powder was sent to the offices of the judge and Attorney General in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s New York state civil fraud case, U.S. President Joe Biden’s son testified before a Congressional committee about his father’s impeachment inquiry, and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced his resignation from his leadership position at the end of the year.
– On the same day, wildfires occurred in Texas state, causing evacuations.
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Trump’s Immunity Claim, Setting Arguments for April
The former president’s trial on charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election will remain on hold while the justices consider the matter.
Trump Rebuffed After Asking a Judge to Delay His $454 Million Penalty
The former president, who is appealing the penalty in his civil fraud case, offered a bond of only $100 million to pause the judgment.
Judge Orders Trump Removed From Illinois Primary Ballot
The judge, a Democrat, stayed her ruling until Friday, leaving Donald J. Trump’s team time to appeal the decision.
Suspicious Powder Sent to Offices of Trump Judge and Attorney General
An envelope with white powder was found at a courthouse where Justice Arthur F. Engoron has offices. A similar letter was received at the offices of Attorney General Letitia James.
McConnell to Step Down as Leader at the End of the Year
The long-serving Republican leader said he would step aside from the role at the end of his term but remain in the Senate, acknowledging that his views on national security had put him out of step with his party.
In Long-Awaited Testimony, Hunter Biden Assails G.O.P. Impeachment Inquiry
The president’s son, who had resisted testifying, condemned Republicans’ efforts to impeach his father, saying their investigation was fueled by lies.
Fast-Spreading Wildfires in Texas Panhandle Prompt Evacuations
One of the wildfires, the Smokehouse Creek fire near the cattle-country town of Canadian, is now the second largest wildfire ever recorded in Texas.
– On February 12, 2024, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the immunity claim in his Washington, D.C. federal election interference case, and a judge agreed to hear evidence on the relationship between two prosecutors in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Georgia state election interference case.
– On the same day, a snowstorm occurred in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York states.
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Ruling Denying Him Absolute Immunity
The filing was former President Donald J. Trump’s last-ditch effort to press his claim of total immunity, which has been rejected by two lower courts.
Georgia Judge Will Hear Evidence on Relationship Between Trump Prosecutors
Defense lawyers have accused Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, of hiring Nathan J. Wade to run the case after she began a romantic relationship with him.
Nor’easter Expected to Bring New York City’s Heaviest Snow in Over 2 Years
A storm starting Monday night will bring heavy snow to parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, forecasters said.
– On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Colorado state presidential primary ballot eligibility case.
– On the same day, a volcano erupted in Iceland.
Supreme Court Seems Likely to Reject Challenge to Trump’s Eligibility
Justices across the ideological spectrum expressed skepticism about several aspects of a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, but there was little discussion of the Jan. 6 riot or Mr. Trump’s role in it.
Iceland Volcano Erupts Again, Cutting Off Hot Water to Thousands
The flowing lava poured over a key pipe that transports hot water from the local power plant to nearby towns.
– On February 6, 2024, a Washington, D.C. appeals court rejected ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s immunity claim in his federal election interference case, and Congressional Republicans failed to impeach the Dept. of Homeland Security secretary, and defeated a U.S. border legislation deal.
– On the same day, rain and mudslides occurred in southern California state.
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Claim of Absolute Immunity
The ruling answered a question that an appeals court had never addressed: Can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?
Dysfunction Reigns in Congress as G.O.P. Defeats Multiply
In a day of chaos in the Capitol, Republicans failed to impeach the homeland security secretary, lost a vote to speed aid to Israel and cheered the demise of a border deal they had demanded.
Southern California Braces for Potential Mudslides as Rain Continues
Weather experts warned that additional rain on top of saturated soil in the Los Angeles region could still cause hillsides to collapse.
Los Angeles Records 475 Mudslides During Historic Storm that has Drenched Southern California
– On January 23, 2024, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump won the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary.
– On the same day, rain and floods occurred in southern California state.
Trump’s Win Adds to Air of Inevitability as Haley Sharpens Edge
The former president’s victories in Iowa last week and in New Hampshire on Tuesday leave his main Republican rival, Nikki Haley, with an uphill battle.
‘Out of an Apocalyptic Movie’: San Diego Residents Describe Flood Escape
The San Diego region was overwhelmed by a surprisingly intense storm that flooded homes and turned roadways into rivers. Some residents wondered why they did not receive more warning.
– On January 21, 2024, U.S. presidential candidate Ron DeSantis ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
– On the same day, a volcano erupted in Indonesia, causing evacuations.
Ron DeSantis Ends Campaign for President
The Florida governor, who once appeared to be Donald Trump’s most daunting challenger, ran a costly, turbulent campaign that failed to catch on with Republican voters.
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi Unleashes Lava as Other Volcanoes Flare Up, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi has erupted, spreading searing gas clouds and avalanches of lava down its slopes as other active volcanoes flared up across the country, forcing the evacuation of thousands.
– On January 15, 2024, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican presidential primary, U.S. Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, and ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s second defamation trial started in New York state.
– On the same day, freezing temperatures occurred in the southern United States.
– On the day before, a volcano erupted in Iceland.
– Also on the day before, a volcano erupted in Indonesia.
Trump Scores Record Win in Iowa; DeSantis Finishes a Distant 2nd
Donald J. Trump’s triumph puts him a step closer to the rematch he wants with President Biden. The surprising finish by Ron DeSantis revived his candidacy. Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out.
Vivek Ramaswamy, Wealthy Political Novice Who Aligned With Trump, Quits Campaign
A self-funding entrepreneur, Mr. Ramaswamy peaked in late August but deflated under attack from his rivals. He dropped out after the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Donald Trump.
As Trump Continues to Insult E. Jean Carroll, 2nd Defamation Trial Opens
The writer has already won $5 million for his sexual abuse and his subsequent denials. But the former president still claims he does not know who she is.
Biting Cold Sweeping U.S. Hits the South With an Unfamiliar Freeze
In Texas, where a 2021 storm killed 246 people and knocked out electricity for millions, officials urged residents to conserve power.
Volcano Erupts in Iceland, Sending Lava Flowing Into Small Town
The latest eruption happened along a row of volcanoes on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where a fissure opened in December, creating a river of lava.
Indonesia’s Marapi Volcano Erupts Again, a Month after Deadly Incident
– On January 10, 2024, U.S. presidential candidate Chris Christie ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
– On the same day, an avalanche occurred in California, killing 1 person.
Christie’s Exit Is Jolted as Hot Mic Picks Up His Unvarnished View of Rivals
As he bowed out of the presidential race, Mr. Christie was heard mocking Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. His departure leaves the field without its most vocal Trump critic.
1 Killed in Avalanche at Lake Tahoe Ski Resort
The avalanche, at Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley, Calif., drew a large emergency response. One other person was treated for a minor injury, the authorities said.
– On January 9, 2024, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at a federal appeals court hearing in his Washington, D.C. election interference case.
– On the same day, snow storms, rain storms, floods, and tornadoes occurred in the United States, killing 4 people.
Appeals Court Seems Skeptical of Trump’s Immunity Claim
A three-judge panel appeared unlikely to grant the former president’s request that it throw out federal criminal charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election.
Tornadoes, Blizzards, Floods: Severe Storms Hit Vast Sections of U.S.
There were flood warnings up and down the East Coast, and heavy snow was expected in the West. At least four weather-related deaths had been reported across the South.
– On December 19, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump was declared ineligible for the 2024 U.S. presidential Republican primary ballot by the Colorado state supreme court.
– On the same day and day before, a volcano erupted in Iceland.
Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling
The decision, the first by a court to find that Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again because he engaged in insurrection, is likely to put a monumental case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
After Weeks of Warnings, Iceland Volcano Erupts in Plumes of Fire
While Monday’s eruption was not unexpected, it was larger than volcanologists had been predicting and took place not far from an evacuated town and a power plant.
– November 22, 2023 was the 60 year anniversary of the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
– On the same day, a landslide occurred in Alaska, killing 3 people.
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Three Killed After Landslide Strikes Alaska Town
Authorities said at least three others were believed missing after the slide smashed into three single-family homes in southeast Alaska.
– On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel
– On the same day, two earthquakes occurred in Afghanistan, killing 2,000 people.
‘There Were Terrorists Inside’: How Hamas’s Attack on Israel Unfolded
Palestinian militants from Gaza raided Israel on Saturday, killing and abducting hundreds. Survivors have begun to recount the most complex attack on their territory in half a century.
Earthquakes in Afghanistan Kill At Least 2,000, Officials Say
Two 6.3-magnitude quakes were followed by several large aftershocks, devastating entire villages in the western part of the country.
– September 11, 2023 was the 22 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
– September 29, 2023 was an additional 9/11, in gematria: 9 / (2 + 9 = 11).
– On the same day, rain and floods occurred in New York City.
September 11 attacks
Heavy Rain Brings Flash Floods to New York City
Heavy rain caused serious flooding across the region on Friday, leading Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency as rising waters disrupted travel and stranded people in cars and homes.
– September 11, 2023 was the 22 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
– On the same day, floods occurred in Libya.
– On the day before, Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea volcano erupted.
– Two days before, an earthquake occurred in Morocco.
September 11 attacks
Thousands Reported Dead in Severe Libya Flooding
Floods swept through northeastern Libya, with the top official in the region warning that the toll could exceed 2,000 dead as rescuers searched for survivors
Kilauea, Hawaii’s Most Active Volcano, Erupts Again
The volcano, located on the Big Island, last erupted in June. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said there was no immediate threat to people or property.
Powerful Earthquake Shakes Morocco, Killing More Than 2,000
The quake, centered in the mountains just outside of Marrakesh, was the strongest to hit that area in a century. “It didn’t last long, but felt like years,” said one woman who lives near the epicenter.
– On August 24, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump was booked and processed for 13 Georgia state felony charges.
– On the same day, a historic heat wave occurred in Southern Europe.
Trump Surrenders at Atlanta Jail in Election Interference Case
The former president arrived in a motorcade and entered a rear entrance of the Fulton County Jail to be booked on racketeering charges. He left 20 minutes later.
Late-Summer Heat Wave Bakes Southern Europe
In France, Spain and Italy, residents and tourists did their best to avoid scorching temperatures — again.
– On August 3, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 4 U.S. federal felony charges.
– On the same day, a historic heat wave occurred in South America.
– Also on the same day, the world’s oceans reached record high temperatures.
Trump Pleads Not Guilty to Plotting to Overturn the 2020 Election
The former president was arraigned in a Washington federal courtroom on four charges tied to his efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election. “This is a very sad day for America,” Mr. Trump said before heading to his residence in Bedminster, N.J.
Heat Wave Grips Portions of South America in the Middle of Winter
An unusual winter heat wave has brought record high temperatures to cities across Argentina, Chile and Paraguay this week, triggering concerns about the impacts of climate change.
What This Year’s ‘Astonishing’ Ocean Heat Means for the Planet
Brutal heat waves have baked the world this summer and they haven’t been contained to land. Earth’s oceans are the hottest they have been in modern history, by an unusually wide margin.
– On July 18, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump received a target letter in the January 6 criminal investigation.
– On the same day, a historic heat wave occurred in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Jan. 6 Investigation: Trump Faces Possible Indictment in Capitol Attack Investigation
The former president said he received a second target letter from the special counsel, a sign that he could be indicted again. Days after receiving the first letter, Mr. Trump was charged with 37 criminal counts tied to the handling of classified documents.
Heat Waves Grip 3 Continents as Climate Change Warms Earth
Across North America, Europe and Asia, hundreds of millions of people endured blistering conditions. The U.S. special envoy for climate change called it “a threat to all of humankind.”
Heat Wave Hits Europe, and It’s Only Going to Get Hotter
More scorching weather is expected in the southern part of the continent in the coming days, with experts anticipating records. Here’s what to know.
The Heat Index Reached a Life-Threatening 152 Degrees in the Middle East
– June 19, 2023 was a federal holiday observed in the United States as “Juneteenth.”
– On the same day, tornadoes occurred in Mississippi state, killing 1 person.
– On the previous days, tornadoes occurred in Texas, Florida, and Mississippi states, killing 5 people.
Juneteenth
Tornado Hits Central Mississippi, Killing at Least 1
The circumstances surrounding the death were not yet known. Weather officials believe multiple tornadoes may have struck the state overnight.
In Texas Town Pummeled by Tornado, Residents Pick Through Rubble
A tornado destroyed a trailer park as it battered the Texas Panhandle city of Perryton, where three people died. Another person was killed in Florida. A fifth person died in Mississippi.
– On June 13, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 U.S. federal felony charges.
– On the same day, a boat capsize occurred in Nigeria, killing 100+ people.
Trump Arraignment: Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Documents Case
Donald J. Trump, the first former president to be charged with federal crimes, was arraigned on 37 counts related to his handling of classified documents. After his court appearance in Miami, he spoke to supporters at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J.
Wedding Guests Among at Least 103 Killed in Boat Accident in Nigeria
The boat capsized on the Niger River at night, when many passengers were returning from a wedding party.
– On June 8, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted for 37 U.S. federal felony charges.
– On the same day and week, 400+ wildfires occurred in Canada, causing air pollution in the United States.
– On the day before, Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea volcano erupted.
Trump Indicted: Trump Is Charged in Classified Documents Inquiry
The seven counts against the former president include conspiracy to obstruct, willful retention of documents and false statements, according to people familiar with the indictment. He said he would surrender to the authorities on Tuesday.
Wildfires Spread Smoke, and Anxiety, Across Canada to the U.S.
Massive plumes of smoke from hundreds of Canadian fires enveloped millions in smoke, triggering dangerous air quality warnings in both countries and turning skies an ashen orange.
Kilauea Erupts in Hawaii With ‘Incandescent’ Glow
The volcano on the Big Island gave hints in the past month that an eruption might be imminent.
– On May 9, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump lost a sexual assault and defamation civil lawsuit in New York.
– On the day before, floods occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo, killing 400+ people.
– Also on the day before, a boat capsize occurred in India, killing 22+ people.
Donald Trump Sexually Abused and Defamed E. Jean Carroll, Jury Finds
The ex-president must pay Ms. Carroll $5 million. More than a dozen women have accused Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct, but this civil case was the only one tested before a jury.
‘Catastrophic’ Congo Flooding Kills More Than 400 People
Days after the flooding began, survivors are still pulling victims from the rubble and mud, and thousands have been left homeless. More rain is likely in the coming days.
At Least 22 Dead After Tourist Boat Capsizes in Southern India
Many victims of the tragedy in the state of Kerala were children who were sightseeing on a boat that officials said was overcrowded.
– On May 6, 2023, King Charles III’s coronation ceremony was held in London, England.
– On the same day, 100+ wildfires occurred in Alberta, Canada.
Charles Is Crowned King in Ancient Ceremony With Modern Twists
The coronation, the first since Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953, was a royal spectacle of the kind that only Britain still stages.
More Than 24,500 Are Evacuated as Wildfires Burn in Western Canada
More than 100 wildfires were burning across Alberta on Saturday, in what a government official described as an “unprecedented crisis.”
– The Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995.
– On April 19, 2023, tornadoes occurred near Oklahoma City, killing 3 people.
Oklahoma City bombing
At Least 3 Dead as Tornadoes Strike Oklahoma
Two of the deaths were reported in or near Cole, a town of about 600 people south of Oklahoma City, the police said. One other person who was transported to McClain County, Okla., died.
– On April 4, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 New York state felony charges.
– On the same day, an avalanche occurred in the Indian Himalayas, killing 7+ people.
– Also on the same day, weather storms occurred in the Midwestern and Southern United States.
Trump Pleads Not Guilty to 34 Felony Counts of Falsifying Business Records
The charges center on a hush money deal with a porn star, but prosecutors also accused the former president of orchestrating a broader scheme to pay off another woman and a doorman during the 2016 campaign.
Avalanche in Indian Himalayas Kills at Least 7 Tourists, Officials Say
The authorities said more than 370 people had been rescued. But it remained unclear late Tuesday how many more might be missing.
Storms Threaten Region Hit by Tornadoes Just Days Ago
Hail, wind, snow and a few tornadoes moved through parts of the central United States on Tuesday. The volatile weather system was expected to last into Wednesday.
– On March 25, 2023, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump held the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign.
– On the same day, tornadoes occurred in Mississippi and Alabama states, killing 26+ people.
Trump Puts His Legal Peril at Center of First Big Rally for 2024
Facing a potential indictment, the former president devoted much of his speech in Waco, Texas, to criticizing the justice system, though his attacks were less personal and caustic than in recent days.
Southern Tornadoes Leave At Least 26 Dead
A powerful storm leveled a town in the central part of Mississippi, where 25 were killed across the state, with another death reported in Alabama. Emergency officials said dozens more were injured.
– March 18, 2023 was the 20 year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, and ex-U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that he would be indicted and arrested three days later.
– On the same day, an earthquake occurred in Ecuador and Peru, killing 15+ people.
2003 invasion of Iraq
Trump Claims His Arrest Is Imminent and Calls for Protests, Echoing Jan. 6
His indictment by a Manhattan grand jury is expected, but its timing is unclear.
Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 14 in Ecuador, 1 in Peru
A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least 15 people, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines.
– February 6, 2023 occurred one month (31 days) after the two year anniversary of the U.S. Capitol Building attack on January 6, 2021.
– On the same day, two earthquakes occurred in Turkey and Syria, killing 57,000+ people.
– Also on the same day, mudslides occurred in Peru, killing 36+ people.
January 6 United States Capitol attack
Earthquake’s Death Toll Jumps to Over 57,000 in Turkey and Syria
A woman was rescued from rubble 22 hours after a magnitude-7.8 quake struck early Monday. Rescuers are digging overnight through flattened buildings and fighting near-freezing temperatures.
Steady Rains set off Mudslides that Kill at Least 36 in Peru
Landslides triggered by steady rains swept mud, water and rocks into several villages in southern Peru, killing at least 36 people, authorities said Monday.
– January 6, 2023 was the two year anniversary of the U.S. Capitol Building attack on January 6, 2021.
– On the same day, Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea volcano erupted.
January 6 United States Capitol attack
Hawaii Volcano Kilauea Erupts Again After Weekslong Pause
While Kilauea’s lava was contained to a crater, nearby Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, was not erupting, officials said.
– Between January 3 and January 6, 2023, California Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy failed to receive enough votes to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, an event that last occurred 100 years previously.
– On the same days, wind, rain, and snow storms occurred in California state and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
House G.O.P. Paralyzed on Day 1 as Right Wing Blocks McCarthy Speakership
On the first day of the new Congress, Representative Kevin McCarthy fell short repeatedly in his bid to become speaker as a right-wing rebellion prompted a historic floor fight.
Heavy Snowfall and Tornadoes Wreak Havoc on Midwest and South
A “multi-hazard” storm that had already flooded the West Coast turned into a large winter storm system as it moved across the country.
Powerful Storm Strikes California, From Surging Seas to Mountain Snow
A winter storm moving across the state was also bringing heavy rain and wind on Thursday. Evacuations have been ordered along the coast and near swollen rivers.
– On December 22, 2022, the January 6 U.S. Congressional committee released its final report on its investigation of the 2021 U.S. Capitol Building attack.
– On the same day, wind, snow and ice storms occurred in the Midwestern United States.
Jan.6 Panel Issues Final Report, Placing Blame for Capitol Riot on ‘One Man’
The report expanded on this summer’s televised hearings, describing in detail what it called former President Donald J. Trump’s “multipart plan” to overturn the 2020 election.
White-Out Conditions and Subzero Temperatures Upend Holiday Plans
High winds and heavy snow and ice have disrupted flights and closed major roads across the middle of the United States. Cities are preparing for the worst of the storm to come.
– On November 19, 2022, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump’s Twitter account was reinstated.
– On the same day, a snow storm occurred in western New York state, killing 2 people.
– Also on the same day, a bright fireball / meteor appeared in the sky above Ontario and western New York state.
Elon Musk Reinstates Trump’s Twitter Account
Mr. Musk, who had asked Twitter users about whether to bring back the former president to the service, said, “The people have spoken.”
The Monster Buffalo Snowstorm May Have Set a Record. More Is on the Way.
Officials said the storm appeared to drop a record amount of snow for Erie County in a 24-hour period, and that two people had died as a result.
Fireball Flashes Above Ontario and Parts of the U.S.
The bright meteor was the sixth object detected in space before striking Earth, the European Space Agency said.
– On September 19, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was held in London, England.
– On the same day, an earthquake occurred in Mexico, killing 1+ person.
– Two earthquakes previously occurred in Mexico on this date in 2017 and 1985.
Thousands Pay Tribute as Britain Says Final Farewell to Its Queen
More than 100 world leaders, including President Biden, attended the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, and Britons lined the streets for a procession that took her to her final resting place at Windsor Castle.
Earthquake Shakes Mexico on Anniversary of 2 Major Temblors
The magnitude 7.6 earthquake, centered near the boundary of Colima and Michoacan states, killed at least one person. It came on the same day as devastating quakes in 1985 and 2017.
– On August 15, 2021, the U.S. Government evacuated Afghanistan.
– On the same day, floods occurred in Turkey, killing 59+ people.
– Also on the same day, wildfires occurred in California and Utah states.
– On the day before, an earthquake occurred in Haiti, killing 1,300+ people.
Taliban Seize Afghanistan; U.S. Scrambles To Evacuate Americans
As the Afghan president fled the country and the government crumbled, the U.S. military raced to evacuate diplomats and civilians from an increasingly panicked city.
Flash Floods in Turkey Kill 59, and Dozens Are Still Missing
The death toll in the flash floods that roared across northern Turkey has risen to 59, with dozens of people still missing and many villages still cut off, almost a week after the disaster first struck, officials said.
Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Ravage Utah and Northern California
Firefighters battled the Dixie Fire in California and a new fire in Parleys Canyon in Utah as searing temperatures continued to bake the western United States.
Strong Earthquake Rocks Haiti, Killing Hundreds
The magnitude 7.2 quake severely damaged several cities, burying people in the rubble of collapsed buildings. It was more powerful than the 2010 quake, which killed more than 220,000 people.
– On April 9, 2021, the 99th day of the year, Prince Philip, the consort of Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 99.
– On the same day, La Soufrière, a volcano on the main island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, erupted.
– La Soufrière last erupted in 1979 and has only erupted five times between 1718 and 2021.
Prince Philip, Husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Is Dead at 99
The Duke of Edinburgh, who married the future queen in 1947, brought the monarchy into the 20th century, but his occasional tactless comments hurt his image.
Caribbean Volcano Erupts, Spewing Ash and Smoke for Miles
La Soufrière, on the main island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, last erupted in 1979. It sent two explosive plumes of ash and smoke on Friday, and 20,000 people fled.
– On February 13, 2021, ex-U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in his second impeachment trial.
– On the same day, an earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan.
– Also on the same day, snow and ice storms occurred in the United States.
– The snow and ice storms continued until February 15, a holiday observed in the United States as President’s Day.
Trump Acquitted of Inciting Insurrection, Even as Bipartisan Majority Votes ‘Guilty’
The verdict was unlikely to be the final word for former President Donald J. Trump, his badly divided party or the festering wounds the Jan. 6 riot that prompted the impeachment left behind.
Powerful Quake Hits Japan, Evoking a Worrisome Memory
The epicenter of the quake was off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, the site of a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that killed thousands and caused meltdowns at a nuclear plant.
Storms Bring Punishing Cold, Snow and Ice From Coast to Coast
The harsh weather was a prelude to another winter storm that is expected to bring more snow, sleet, and freezing rain to over 100 million Americans over the next several days.
– On January 6, 2021, a pro Trump political mob attacked the U.S. Capitol Building to stop the Congressional certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
– Three days later, an airliner crashed in Indonesia, killing 60+ people.
– Also three days later, landslides occurred in Indonesia, killing 11 people.
Pro-Trump Mob Storms the U.S. Capitol Building
Supporters of President Trump broke into the building as lawmakers were certifying Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s electoral victory.
Indonesian Jetliner Crashes Into the Sea After Takeoff, Carrying 62
More than 60 people were aboard the Boeing 737-524, a Sriwijaya Air flight that had taken off from Jakarta. Officials said they believed they found part of the wreckage.
11 Dead in 2 Landslides in Indonesia
The landslides on the island of Java were set off by heavy rainfall and unstable soil, officials said, and left rescue workers searching for survivors.
– On December 21, 2020, the winter solstice, a very rare astronomical phenomenon known as a “great conjunction” occurred between the planets Jupiter and Saturn
– Great conjunctions of this type have only occurred four times between the years 1200 and 2020.
– On the same day, Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea volcano erupted.
This Solstice, Solace for the Darkness
A rare conjunction of planets serves as a reminder that there is more to the universe than just ourselves.
Kilauea Volcano Erupts in Hawaii, Prompting Warning to Stay Inside
The civil defense authorities warned people to stay indoors to avoid the fallout of ash carried by the winds.
Videos
1954-2007 Project Stormfury and Hurricane Modification
Experiments That Could Have Ended The World
The Lynmouth Flood Disaster – Natural or Nefarious?
The Lynmouth flood disaster devastated the village of Lynmouth in 1952. Not long after, questions would be asked about whether this was a natural disaster, or something more sinister. Questions that remain unanswered to this day.
British RAF Kills 35 People in Rainmaking Experiments in Lynmouth, 1952
BBC Radio 4 ‘Document’ programme on Weather Modification broadcast 30 August 2001. Thirty-five deaths in the infamous Lynmouth flood disaster came only days after RAF rain-making experiments over southern England, it has emerged. Ninety million tonnes of water swept down the narrow valley into Lynmouth on 15 August, 1952, destroying whole buildings. Now, a BBC investigation has confirmed that secret experiments were causing heavy rainfall. Classified documents on the trials have gone missing, but people involved have told their story for the BBC Radio Four’s Document programme.
Weather Warfare Over Vietnam 1967 – Operation Popeye
From: The History Channel
Project Controlled Weather – Operation Popeye
As the Vietnam War reached a crossroads, the U.S. army had important decisions to make if they wanted to tip the scale back to their side. All options were on the table – both conventional and unconventional. And among the most unusual plots was Operation Popeye, launched in an attempt to weaken the Ho Chi Minh trail, the Viet Cong’s most vital mechanism supply flow tool. To accomplish this, the U.S. would turn the weather into a weapon of war.
Operation Popeye utilized cloud seeding technology – a type of weather modification that artificially creates rain or snow. With it, the U.S. military extended at least five monsoon seasons, causing detrimental effects to the unknowing Vietnamese citizens and soldiers.
The mission spanned five years and cost taxpayers over 15 million dollars. Despite multiple hearings in Congress, military officers, even President Nixon himself, denied it existed at all.
Operation Popeye: America’s Secret Weather Warfare Project
The United States Air Force engaged in the only known militarization of meteorology. The project became known as Operation Popeye.
Making clouds rain has been the subject of intensive research in several countries since the mid-40s. This study is the story of rainmaking in Australia – from the first tentative experiments with dry ice to the present, large-scale operations using silver iodide as the seeding agent. The film gives an account of the basic theory of cloud-seeding and outlines the techniques used in its practical application.
Dr. Vincent Schaefer Snow-Making Demonstration
Dr. Vincent Schaefer of the General Electric Research Laboratory demonstrates his method for making snow in a laboratory freezer, circa 1947. His research led to the development of Project Cirrus.
Project Thunderstorm: May, 1947 – September, 1947
ARC Identifier 2987943 / Local Identifier 341-Roswell-8. This film chronicles a joint U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Weather Bureau Project at Wright Field and the All – Weather Flying Station at Wilmington, Ohio. Scenes cover the training of military volunteer pilots in the mechanics of thunderstorms, and then — equipped with planes that filmed their control panels as they flew — the pilots experimented with the safest ways of navigating through the violent storms. Subsequent footage shows trained personnel as they reviewed the filmed evidence and interrogated the pilots on their airborne experiences. Department of Defense. Department of the Air Force. Office of the Secretary. Office of the Administrative Assistant. Office of the Deputy for Security and Special Investigative Programs. Research Declassification Team. (1987 – ) Made possible by a donation from Mark Rosch
Project Stormfury Hurricane Research – July 24, 1972
Uncut “Project Stormfury” shows: cu of hurricane swirling: ms weather satellite: plane taking off and in flight: ms trees blowing in gale: high shot stormy water: shots of waves hitting & shots of water thru town: mcu palm trees blowing & more shots of waves & water thru streets: 2s of aftermath: shot of 3 scientists down steps of plane: shot of plane in flight: animation map showing where hurricanes hit most often: planes loaded with hurricane equipment: animation eye of hurricane & more animation of how hurricane works: mcu plane in flight heading toward hurricane:
Scenes related to the Stormfury cloud seeding research project. Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico. Mountains in the background. A U.S. Weather Bureau DC-6 aircraft takes off. It is modified with a large radar housing on its belly. United States Navy RA-3B Skywarrior aircraft takes off from a runway. Second RA-3B taxiing and taking off from the runway. The aircraft in flight overhead. A DC-4 aircraft takes off. Location: Puerto Rico. Date: 1966.
Cloud seeding experiments in Puerto Rico, involving U.S. Navy, Weather Bureau, and Colorado International Corporation (CIC). Stormfury cloud seeding project. Views inside a U.S. Navy WC-121N aircraft, from Naval Station Roosevelt Roads,Puerto Rico, engaged in cloud-seeding experiments, assisted by contractor Colorado International Corporation (CIC). Crewman seated at a radar console, controlling the “Seeder” aircraft. Crewman at a meteorology station aboard the aircraft. A man’s hand turning dials on a machine at the meteorology station. A navigator using a weems plotter, E-6B circular slide rule computer, and dividers, He plots course, position, and estimated times of arrival at points along the route.Crew member from CIC confers with navigator. Some crew relaxing and playing cards while in flight. View of pilot and copilot in the cockpit. Location: Puerto Rico. Date: 1966.
Men on Board VW-4 Hurricane Hunter Plane while in Flight During Project Stormfury – HD Stock Footage
Men on board VW-4 hurricane hunter plane while in flight during Project Stormfury. Project Stormfury, Ceiba in Puerto Rico. The skipper of VW-4 hurricane hunter plane, Commander R.V. Himewick, discusses the flight storm area. Commander in flight gear in a ready room. Two officers of the crew relax during the flight a one of them sleeps while the other one goes through a booklet. Mr. Auston , navigator as he plots a course for aircraft during the flight. The flight engineer, Chief Weekly seated before the control panel during the flight. Dials, buttons switch control of the Pilot and co-pilot at controls in the cockpit of the aircraft. Location: Ceiba Puerto Rico. Date: August 10, 1966.
Crew on board VW-4 hurricane hunter plane look at a radar scope during Project Stormfury. Project Stormfury, Ceiba in Puerto Rico. Dr. Simpson, a woman, Dr. Gentry and AX3 Wrant wearing phones at radar scope on board VW-4 hurricane hunter aircraft while in flight during Project Stormfury. They watch the radar scope. Commander Himewick, skipper of VW-4 at controls of the aircraft in flight, instrument panel. EC-121 aircraft and its instrument panel. Dr. Simpson relaxes and drinks milk from a carton with a straw. Cloud formation in sky with water below them. Shadow of clouds on water. Location: Ceiba Puerto Rico. Date: August 10, 1966.
U.S. Navy Lockheed WC-121N aircraft of Squadron VW-4 taking off from a runway in Roosevelt Roads Naval Base, Puerto Rico. Stormfury cloud seeding research project. A U.S. Navy Lockheed WC-121N aircraft of Squadron VW-4 parked on a runway in Puerto Rico. Second aircraft parked in the background. Two men pushing away an aircraft ramp from the side of the WC-121N aircraft. Port engines turning up. Men pulling chocks. The aircraft taking off from the far end of the field and in flight overhead. Letters ‘Navy VW-4’ painted on a side of the aircraft. Hurricane Hunters insignia painted on a side. Location: Puerto Rico. Date: August 10, 1966.
Silver iodide cartridges being loaded in bomb racks of planes during operation Stormfury at Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. Project Stormfury at Roosevelt Roads Naval air station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. Three RA-3B planes lined up at Roosevelt Roads Naval air station. A CPO (Chief Petty Officer) removes silver iodide cartridges from a wooden box and places them in small racks. CPO loads iodide cartridges into small bomb racks as a civilian engineer talks to him. Bomb bay of the plane open. Engineer hands cartridges to the CPO as he loads them into the bomb rack. Men hand over racks of cartridges to a man inside the bomb bay in the plane. Nose of RA-3B plane with overcast sky in the background. Location: Ceiba Puerto Rico. Date: August 30, 1966.
Silver iodide cartridges loaded in bomb racks of planes during operation Stormfury at Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. Project Stormfury at Roosevelt Roads Naval air station in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. Crew members stand near the tail section of EC-121 plane at Roosevelt Roads Naval air station with another EC-121 plane in the background. A ladder leads up to the hatch of EC-121 aircraft. Chief Petty Officer and a civilian engineer opens silver iodide cases next to a RA-3B plane on the line with overcast sky in the background. Cartridges placed in small bomb racks. Men hand over the cartridges to someone in the bomb bay. CPO places a wooden box of silver iodide canisters. He opens the lid and removes canisters. Iodide racks placed in bomb bay. Men use speed wrench to secure the racks on bomb bay. Men off load silver iodide cases from a yellow pick up truck. Location: Ceiba Puerto Rico. Date: August 30, 1966.
The History of Weather Modification
From “Cloud Seeding” to hurricane dissipation, this is the history of human weather modification.
Can We Weaken A Hurricane With This Chemical? Project Stormfury | BBC Studios
Hacking The Planet: Project Stormfury
Trying to hack or tame a hurricane is not new. The U. S. government tried to do it 50 years ago. See more on Hacking the Planet only on The Weather Channel.
Controlling the Weather: Is It Possible?
Scientists and researchers may one day be able to manipulate rain and lightning using lasers. “CBS This Morning” contributor Michio Kaku, a physics professor at City College of New York, talks to Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell about the potential future of weather.
Using high-powered lasers to start the rain. Dave Malkoff [ http://davemalkoff.com ] reports from the University of Central Florida’s College of Optics & Photonics where researchers have developed a new technique to aim a high-energy laser beam into clouds to make it rain or trigger lightning. MORE INFO: http://bit.ly/QnIdT3
How Cloud Seeding Makes It Rain Artificially
Controlling the weather may still be years away, but scientists and farmers are using a technology called cloud seeding, which makes water vapour in clouds to collide, turning it into precipitation that would not otherwise fall to earth. But how does it work and who does it benefit?
Drought Woes? This Tech Can Literally Make it Rain | Mission Ahead
Across the globe, about a billion people are facing water scarcity. Could cloud seeding help? Weather Modification International uses planes to target clouds and draw out more precipitation.
These Scientists Are Altering Weather to Fight Droughts | TechnoLogic
Cloud seeding has been around for almost a century, touted for its ability to increase rain and snowfall in drought-stricken regions. Governments have spent billions on these weather-modifying projects, despite scant evidence that the technology actually increased precipitation. Now, scientists finally have proof that cloud seeding works. But can weather modification ever escape its controversial reputation?
Weather Modification Tech: How Cloud Seeding Increases Rainfall
We visited one of the longest-running cloud seeding operations in the country to get a full demonstration and walk-through of the equipment that aims to increase the rain we get from the clouds passing above our heads.
How Humans Make Rain – The Science of Superstorms – BBC
Pilots chase storms to artificially prime clouds to deliver extra rain in drought-stricken Texas.
Comment from YouTube
don’t know about the movie’s satellites (I have avoided shitty disaster movies since 2012) but satellites that reflect and/or deflect sunlight/heat would be able to alter weather. By selectively heating and cooling – you could control humidity, wind, ocean currents and thus rain/snow/etc.
In this context; alter and control are synonymous.
Yeah, IIRC scishow had an episode on it. You would either need a ‘swarm’ of small sats or a few huge ones – probably would need to affect several dozen square km of Earth at a time to mess with regional weather or hurricanes.
I don’t understand what you mean by space infrastructure but in terms of technology – it’s probably doable, it would cost the GDP of a decent country but doable. Solar energy is a separate issue from this but if you did use this to direct sunlight for electrical generation – you will increase the temperature of the Earth; thereby melting the ice caps, raising sea lvl and disrupting ocean/air currents aka most of the bad of climate change.
Yeah…no. You can build a pond in your backyard and it would change the micro climate. Increase the temp of the lake next to your town by few degrees and you definitely will alter the humidity, wind and thus precipitation locally.
“need to affect several dozen square km of Earth at a time” Please tell me that you at least understand what it would take to create a ‘sun beam’ of that size?…couple of sats indeed.
There is no ‘attaining’ of anything – this is simple reflection. If you want to double the amount of sunlight hitting a 10×10 km area – you build a reflector(s) large and/or numerous enough to reflect the required light. As far as technology goes: It’s largely just a matter of scale, in principal – it’s all been done before. Also – even changing fractions of a degree in temperature will alter the weather – it could be the difference between rain and snow, frost or dew, or strengthening/weakening a high/low pressure systems.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist and I have no idea what you are talking about. Like I said there is no great leap of technology required to build large and/or a swarm of reflectors in space; only money and will. “technology is not that advanced” Could you be specific? what do you believe is not advanced enough?