Stories by Andrea Thompson

When heat hits, we talk about the heat index, the dew point and heat risk. But what do all these measures mean?

Weather experts talk about why the film Twister is often such a favorite among tornado researchers and what they think of its new stand-alone sequel, Twisters

Temperatures in Fairbanks, Alaska, are predicted to reach a record-tying 90 degrees Fahrenheit because of a prolonged, unusually late heat wave

Project 2025 would jeopardize federal scientists’ independence and undermine their influence

Under the scorching summer sun, pavement can reach temperatures hot enough to cause second-degree burns

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic, exploded in strength unusually early in its development, fueled by exceptionally warm ocean waters

Heat waves are getting hotter, more frequent and longer. But there are ways to keep yourself and your community cool.

How does astronomical summer differ from meteorological summer? And how is climate change affecting how long summer lasts?

The face of summer is transforming, as people today face more frequent, longer-lasting and hotter heat waves than they did several decades ago

A heat dome is sending temperatures soaring across the U.S. Midwest and East

Orcas have once again attacked and sunk a boat near the Strait of Gibraltar, a behavior that has scientists stumped

From Gaza to India to the Philippines, climate change exacerbated often record-breaking extreme heat over the past month

Ancient tree rings show that the summer of 2023 was the hottest in the past 2,000 years because of human-caused climate change

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Lebanon, N.J., at 10:23 A.M. EDT. Shaking was felt over a broad area, including parts of New York State, Pennsylvania and Connecticut

From cloud coverage to clear skies, here’s up-to-date weather conditions expected along the path of April 8’s total solar eclipse

More than one million acres are burning in Texas after freezes, dry weather and winds

Jen Golbeck, “dog mom” to a group of golden retrievers called the Golden Ratio on social media, talks about the science of the bond between humans and their dogs and all the ways that the canines benefit people

The year 2023 is officially the hottest on record, edging close to the mark of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. But that doesn’t mean that the goals of the Paris climate accord are out of reach

Dogs are good for you, science says. 

In 2023 climate news was a mixed bag: we saw unrelenting heat but also glimmers of hope of progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions

From fish that dance to “see” to frogs disguised as poop to boat-attacking killer whales, Scientific American rounds up our favorite odd animals of 2023

The choices we make in how we adapt to climate change can sometimes come back to bite us

The planet just saw the hottest span of 12 months in human history because of climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels

A heat dome that baked parts of South America in late September was made much more likely and at least 1.4 degrees Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter by climate change