The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a warning that Tropical Storm Lee is expected to rapidly intensify and become an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” by early Friday. Forecasters predict that Lee will intensify into a Category 4 hurricane with winds potentially as high as 155 mph, and the NHC is advising residents of the Leeward Islands to monitor the storm and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property. Residents are urged to stay informed and follow the instructions of local officials.
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Four people have died and six are missing in Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey due to severe flooding caused by rainstorms. Over 800 people have been rescued, and authorities are using divers, swift water rescue specialists, helicopters, and the army to reach remote areas and provide assistance. The flooding has caused significant damage to infrastructure, and the Greek government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.
An international team of rescuers is working to save an American speleologist who has become ill while exploring a cave in Turkey. Mark Dickey, 40, is stuck several thousand feet below the ground and is suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding. The rescue operation is logistically and technically one of the largest cave rescues in the world and is expected to take several days.
Three sailors were rescued from a nearly sunken catamaran in the Coral Sea after activating an emergency beacon. It is believed that the damage to the boat was caused by cookiecutter sharks, and the sailors were taken to the Solomon Islands in good health and spirits. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority commended the sailors for their quick thinking and thanked the merchant vessel for their assistance in the rescue.
A former British Army soldier facing terrorism charges has escaped from a London prison, prompting a massive manhunt. Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, was reported missing from Wandsworth prison and is believed to have crawled under a delivery van wearing chef's garb. He is accused of planting fake bombs at a military base and violating the Official Secrets Act. Police are conducting checks at airports and have appealed to the public for help, but no information has been released on Khalife's whereabouts.
The Biden administration has taken a major step in protecting the environment by canceling all remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and protecting an additional 13 million acres in the nearby National Petroleum Reserve from drilling and other development. This decision comes in response to the increasing global warming that is causing extreme weather disasters around the world, and is in line with Biden's campaign promise to “reverse the Trump administration’s assaults” on the environment. The Interior Department said that the 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve will be protected from drilling and other development, helping to ensure that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its 19.6 million acres of habitat remain safe and protected.
At least 16 people, including one child, were killed in a missile attack in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit to assess Ukraine's counteroffensive and signal continued U.S. support for Kyiv's efforts. Blinken and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the ongoing Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and called on Russia to immediately cease its aggression and withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
Earth has just experienced its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer on record, with August being the hottest month ever recorded by modern equipment. The average temperature in August was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than pre-industrial averages, leading to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, and wildfires. The WMO and C3S have urged governments to take action to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change, and U.S. President Joe Biden has promised federal aid for Idalia recovery.