Smart homes are gaining in popularity, with 32% of households in the U.S. using smart home technology and that number expected to jump to 57% by 2025.  However, the term is often used to mean that instead of having to walk across the room to flip a switch to turn on a light,  you replace that task with a voice command.  

Today in Tempest News: Meteorologist and hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross talks about the scariest hurricane moment he's ever had, evacuating during a pandemic, and the danger of assuming anyone knows how a hurricane will behave.  Plus a look at the raging wildfires in the West and Hurricane Laura's path of destruction.

Lights are on, tablets and smartphones are charging, online school is in session for most kids, and in the US, work from home has become the new norm for many of us. We're home more, which means we're using more energy than usual, and have probably seen that reflected in our energy bill. Now, more than ever, people are looking for better ways to regulate their energy consumption.

Today in Tempest News: A talk with PG&E spokesperson Deanna Contreras about the utility company's wildfire risk mitigation efforts, which includes new grid technology, enhanced vegetation management and the installation of high definition fire cameras to mountain tops, in addition to a growing network of weather stations. PLUS a look at two lightning bolts that have broken world records, and what tree rings are telling researchers about climate change.

While a lot of focus rests on global climates these days, local weather reports require microclimate consideration to improve accuracy for every person living in a specific geographic region. Both natural and engineered conditions affect both the formation and weather forecasting ability in these microclimates. When you understand what causes them, you can adopt hyper- local methods to more accurately plan your outdoor activities and prepare for severe weather.

Today in Tempest News: A fascinating interview with Michael Rossi, director and producer of Mr. Tornado, an overview of the Saharan plume of dust and what it may mean for 2020's hurricane season, PG&E's attempt to mitigate wildfire risks using a network of weather stations, and a look at how rising temperatures in the arctic caused a catostrophic oil leak. 

If firefighters could predict how a wildfire was going to spread, they would be better able to contain it. But despite great strides in the computer modeling used to forecast wildfires, they’re difficult to predict because of unexpected wind shifts or spontaneous acceleration. They remain a catastrophic force that takes lives and decimates communities.

Wondering what to get your dad when he already owns all of the latest tech devices? We’ve scoured the internet for some fabulous Father’s Day gifts for your gadget-loving dad, and these are some of our favorites:  

Hurricane season is upon us, with four named storms already.  According to NOAA, the Atlantic hurricane season started on June 1st and will end on November 30th, with the Eastern Pacific hurricane season beginning May 15th. The strength of a hurricane’s winds determines its intensity, and hurricanes can have different intensities and levels of damage. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale categorizes hurricane severity on a scale from 1 (weakest) to Category 5 (most intense). Regardless of whether an impending hurricane is Cat 1 or Cat 5, if you live in affected areas, you will need to prepare for hurricane season in order to weather the storm.