Heatwave declares maximum alert in 23 of Italy's 27 largest cities

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a forecast indicating that El Niño will continue to strengthen and play a key role in shaping the global climate from August to October 2026.

According to specialists, this climatic phenomenon could significantly affect precipitation distribution across various parts of the globe: some areas are expected to face drought risk, while others may experience excess moisture. Furthermore, an increased probability of exceeding standard temperature norms is predicted in different regions of the planet. The WMO press release states that the average sea surface temperature could potentially rise above normal by 2.9 degrees Celsius.

El Niño, which translates from Spanish as 'boy', is one of the most significant natural phenomena on the planet because its consequences can threaten the lives of many people. The essence of the phenomenon lies in the influx of warm water into the Pacific Ocean, but its influence is felt far beyond this area.

During periods of El Niño activity, there is a general increase in average temperature, leading to heatwaves in some regions, which negatively affects agricultural production, especially.

Another part of the material reports the discovery of blue-throated lorikeets by ornithologists. These brightly colored parrots inhabit exclusively the island of Buru, located in eastern Indonesia. Previously, this species was described based on seven specimens collected in the 1920s, and only two confirmed sightings were recorded at the end of 2014.

After more than eleven years, researchers managed to rediscover these rare birds. It turned out that they prefer to live not in the lowlands or mid-altitude forests where searches were previously conducted, but in the remote and little-studied mountainous areas of Buru. Details of this sensational find are available on the Search for Lost Birds project website.

A meteor shower phenomenon was visible in several locations across Brazil during Friday morning. A monitoring station installed in Ceará registered a total of 134 meteors, even with the presence of the full moon.

Images collected by Exoss demonstrate the intensity of this event, which reached its peak activity this week. Records made in both Ceará and Santa Catarina attracted the attention of the astronomical community.

Records in Ceará and Santa Catarina drew attention

The Exoss station located in Carnaubal, Ceará, counted 134 meteors in the early hours of the day. This count was provided by astronomer Marcelo De Cicco, who is a member of the Brazilian Astronomical Society and coordinates the community project Exoss. This number was lower than the one recorded the previous night, when the same equipment identified 196 meteors between Wednesday and Thursday.

Additionally, the Exoss station located in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, also captured images of the event, including one of a notably bright meteor. De Cicco had previously informed g1 that this period corresponded to the peak of the meteor shower.

Why do 'shooting stars' appear in the sky?

So-called shooting stars are, in reality, small pieces originating from comets or, in certain situations, asteroids. When these materials penetrate the Earth's atmosphere, friction causes heating, generating the glow that can be perceived from the surface.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Delta Aquariids Southern shower is one of the main ones observed during this period. Typical characteristics of these events include the very small size of the space fragments, the extremely high speed of entry into the atmosphere, a brightness that usually lasts less than a second, and the classification of more intense events as bolides.

A meteor is classified as a bolide when its brightness exceeds that of Venus.

Upcoming meteor showers will bring new opportunities

Those who missed the spectacle will have other chances to observe meteors. The next major occasion will be on August 12, during the peak of the Perseids, with better visibility expected in Brazil, especially in the North and Northeast regions. On the same date, there is a forecast for a total solar eclipse that can be seen in some parts of Europe.

Another shower that should attract the attention of Brazilian observers will occur at the end of October, the Orionids. To take meteor photographs, Marcelo De Cicco advises avoiding locations near the moonlight and using long exposures, lasting approximately 10 seconds and with a high ISO.

Meteors can exceed 260 thousand km/h

The speed of meteors varies between 40,000 km/h and 260,000 km/h (equivalent to 11 to 72 kilometers per second), depending on their trajectory relative to Earth. This high speed causes particles, often smaller than a grain of sand, to heat up rapidly as they pass through the atmosphere, creating the luminous trail visible in the sky.

Although most meteors disappear in short moments, certain more vigorous events can remain visible for several seconds. Such occurrences tend to happen when the object enters the atmosphere at a shallower angle.

Monsoon activities are continuing in Madhya Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued the latest alert for light to heavy rainfall, lightning, and strong winds for various regions of the state from August 1 to the morning of August 2. While some districts are expected to experience torrential rain and storms, other places will have a mix of sun and shade amidst clouds.

According to the weather department's forecast, there is a possibility of heavy rain and strong winds in parts of western Madhya Pradesh. In the districts of Jhabua, Ratlam, Mandsaur, and Neemuch, there may be thunderstorms with heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds blowing at a speed of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour.

Additionally, a warning of thunderstorms and rain has been issued for Malwa, Nimad, and Gwalior-Chambal region, including the capital Bhopal. In Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Sihore, Rajgarh, Narmadapuram, Betul, Harda, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dhar, Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Shajapur, Agar, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, and Sheopur, there is a possibility of lightning, storms, and winds blowing at a speed of 40 to 50 km/h in some places.

In eastern Madhya Pradesh, the sequence of rain and strong winds will continue in the districts of Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria, Dindori, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, Balaghat, Panna, Damoh, Sagar, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Maihar, and Pandhurna. These districts also have an alert for moderate rain accompanied by storms, lightning, and winds blowing at a speed of 30 to 40 km/h in some places.

According to the weather bulletin, activity of rain with thunder and lightning can be observed at important religious and tourist sites such as Narmadapuram (Pachmarhi), Vidisha (Udaygiri), Raisen (Sanchi), Khandwa (Omkareshwar), Barwani (Bavangaja), Ujjain (Mahakaleshwar), Umaria (Bandhavgarh), Sagar, Guna, Ashoknagar, Chhindwara, Rewa, Sidhi, Singrauli, Sheopur Kalan, Gwalior, and Maihar during the evening.

The weather department has appealed to people to stay away from open fields, under trees, and waterlogged areas during storms and lightning. Special caution has been advised around temporary buildings and tin sheds when winds blow at a speed of 40 to 50 km/h.