The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway. Here's what to know.

MIAMI (AP) — It's time for residents along the southeastern U.S. coastlines to make sure their storm plans are in place as the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season got underway Thursday. Forecasters are predicting a “near-normal” season, but Mike Brennan, the new director at the...

Tropical Storm Arlene, 1st of season, forms in Gulf of Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed Friday in the Gulf of Mexico on a track taking the cyclone south toward the western tip of Cuba. National Hurricane Center forecasters said in a 1:30 p.m. advisory that Arlene had...

Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has formed in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Storm Mawar intensifies rains for Japan, threatens floods and mudslides in some regions

NAHA, Japan (AP) — Heavy rains intensified by Tropical Storm Mawar fell on Japan’s main archipelago Friday, halting trains and triggering floods and mudslides in central and western regions where residents were urged to use caution or evacuate. Up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of...

Tropical depression forms in Gulf of Mexico on 1st day of hurricane season

MIAMI (AP) — A tropical depression formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the official first day of the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and was located about 290 miles (465 kilometers) west-northwest of Fort Myers, Florida, as...

Japan's southern Okinawa Islands prepare as tropical storm approaches

NAHA, Japan (AP) — A weakened Tropical Storm Mawar headed toward Japan's southern archipelago of Okinawa on Thursday, leading businesses and the airport to close and fishermen to batten down their boats in preparation. Many residents in the prefectural capital of Naha on the main...

Triple-whammy of cyclones, a 1-in-200-year event, drove Italy's deadly flooding, scientists say

ROME (AP) — A rare, triple-whammy of cyclones drove the deadly flooding that devastated much of northern Italy this month, but scientists said Wednesday that climate change doesn't seem to be to blame for the intense rainfall. Using computer simulations and past observations, a...

China warns of artificial intelligence risks, calls for beefed-up national security measures

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party has warned of the risks posed by advances in artificial intelligence while calling for heightened national security measures. The statement issued after a meeting Tuesday chaired by party leader and President Xi Jinping underscores...

No kidding: California overtime law threatens use of grazing goats to prevent wildfires

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of goats munch on long blades of yellow grass on a hillside next to a sprawling townhouse complex. They were hired to clear vegetation that could fuel wildfires as temperatures rise this summer. These voracious herbivores are in high demand...

Offshore Typhoon Mawar lashes eastern Taiwan, northern Philippines as it heads for southern Japan

YILAN, Taiwan (AP) — Typhoon Mawar lashed Taiwan's eastern coast with wind, rain and large waves Tuesday but largely skirted the island after giving a glancing blow to the northern Philippines. The storm was moving slowly toward southern Japan. With waves crashing on the shoreline,...