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Florida meteorologist applauded for getting emotional in live coverage of Hurricane Milton

People are finding John Morales' genuine empathy refreshing, and very much needed.

Photo credit: NASA (public domain), NBC 6 South Florida/YouTube

“I apologize — this is just horrific,” said John Morales during live coverage of Hurricane Milton.

Venerated meteorologist John Morales couldn’t help but get choked up during his report on the potentially devastating impact of Hurricane Milton closing in on Florida—a mere two weeks after being pummeled by Hurricane Helene.

“It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” Morales began, the weather forecast map almost completely in red.

Tears welled up in his eyes as Morales tried to notify viewers that “it has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours.”

To most of us, those wouldn’t mean anything. But the anguish in Morales’s voice says it all.


Trying to gain composure, Morales quickly said, “I apologize — this is just horrific,” and continued with his broadcast offscreen, showing just the water map. His voice was still noticeably shaken.

We live in a 24-hour new cycle, which has made us aware of so many global catastrophes and also desensitized to them. But when moments like this happen, when even our ever-stoic messengers are so moved that it also touches us on an emotional level, we are reminded that what happens to one of us, happens to all of us.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

That's probably why so many people commented to commend Morales for showing a bit of humanity—which they found particularly refreshing for a news anchor.

"Please don't apologize. Showing some empathy shows you care and aren't fear mongering. <3 We appreciate it."

"No apology is ever needed for being human and showing what we see so little of these days: genuine empathy. Thank you, sir."

"Your kindness and humanity are not a weakness, but the strength that we all need right now. Thank you."

"No apologies needed sir...for someone to show real emotions for other people...is real concern, real caring."

"He showed a vanishingly rare moment of authenticity and actual empathy, in an incredibly cynical and ugly world - a beautiful thing to see in this scary time. As someone whose family lives in the area that is about to be pummeled by this storm, I am very grateful to him for his decency and humanity in the face of this possible horror that my family are facing. He deserves SO much credit for this beautiful display of transparency and empathy - though he obviously didn't do it for the credit but rather, out of empathy."

"I debated whether to share this. I did apologize on the air," Morales would later post on X.

He also urged folks to read his coverage of the relationships between climate change and extreme weather on The Bulletin, calling these recent hurricanes are “harbingers of the future.”

Global warming has changed me. Frankly, YOU should be shaken too," he wrote.

If a professional of 35 years is saying this…yikes.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman
True

Chloe Lippman might just be the happiest dog in New York City.

The 11-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback belongs to Dr. Lisa Lippman, a veterinarian with an expansive social media following who specializes in teaching pet owners how to spark joy in their furry friends.


With autumn fully underway, Dr. Lippman is sharing her top tips on how to keep pets happy, healthy, and frolicking with gusto, along with the importance of protection against fleas and ticks during this fall and winter season!

Know their cold tolerance and limits. Certain breeds have a lower tolerance to cold temperatures than others, which is important to keep in mind as the temperatures plummet. For example, Chloe has a short coat, and starts to shiver around 40 degrees. Other breeds—like huskies—are literally made for snow, so you may not need to worry about their body warmth as much.

Keeping our animals warm while outdoors begs the question of those adorable canine sweaters and coats: should we go with fashion, or function? Dr. Lippman says BOTH!

“Winter clothing is definitely a good idea for short hairs and some of the smaller breeds, since they have less insulation against the cold. And of course, isn’t it insanely cute to match? So we enjoy our outings without worrying about bringing any pests home with us, I also make sure Chloe has her Seresto® collar to help kill and repel fleas and ticks through contact (so my sweet Chloe doesn’t need to be bitten first to be protected),” says Dr. Lippman.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Ticks and fleas are a major killjoy. It’s really important to make sure you have flea and tick protection covered heading into the winter season. Many pet owners might not realize that several species of ticks, including the ones that cause Lyme disease, can remain active in fall and winter months. It’s a common misconception that once the air gets cold, pets are safe from fleas and ticks - this is definitely false!

Dr. Lippman says that the best flea and tick preventative is the one you use consistently and correctly. Dogs and cats are very susceptible to fleas and ticks during this time of year no matter where they live or spend their time. She finds Seresto® collars work well for pets because of its ease of application, the assurance that comes from eight continuous months of long-lasting protection, and because it’s affordable and widely available. Chloe barely notices hers—and that’s a good thing!

Wipe their paws after outdoor walks. This is the equivalent of taking off wet socks after you come in from playing in the snow: very, very important! Frostbite is definitely a possibility even after the walk is over, and if they’ve been walking on shoveled sidewalks, the salt can irritate their skin which can lead to infection and pain. This is also a good time to check between their toes for any irritation or tiny wounds. Side note: some pets love being dried off with a hair dryer on a low-heat setting!

Make sure their collar is fitted and ID is current. Winter months are especially tough on pets that like to roam or play a game of hide-and-seek that you didn’t know you were playing! Dogs can lose their scent track in the snow more easily, so make sure their information is up to date, they are microchipped, and they’re wearing their pet ID tag. These steps will make it much easier to be reunited with your pet if you are separated.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Remember, holiday gatherings can be overwhelming. Noise, strange people, loud music, and “scary” trick-or-treaters are all things that might terrify or over-excite your pet. They have no idea what’s going on, so it’s sometimes best to keep them in a quiet, safe room away from the festivities to help keep them calm. And with house guests continuously opening the door, it may allow pets an opportunity to slip out unnoticed.

Ensuring your pet is protected against fleas and ticks is also critical for holiday gatherings, as flea infestation can be detrimental to pets and their families and removal can take months, disrupting holiday fun. Arming your pet with a Seresto® collar allows for more joy together with loved ones during the holiday season and removes the risk of any pest invasions.

Dr. Lippman says her favorite things to do with Chloe during the fall and winter season are being able to enjoy some “petflix and chill” time indoors with cuddly blankets and special dog treats or going on seasonal outings to pet-friendly places with friends. After all, that’s what pets are for—companionship! Protecting our pet’s joy and health is the gift that keeps on giving, including against fleas and ticks that are still a threat during the fall and winter seasons.

To learn about Dr. Lippman’s tips for a joy-filled fall with your pet, including the benefits of a Seresto® collar for eight months of continuous protection against pests, visit FallPetList.com.

Seresto is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates. ©2022 Elanco or its affiliates. PM-US-22-2399.


Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer's drone footage offers incredible detail of an F3 tornado.

I'd never seen a green sky before living in the Midwest. I also didn't know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning, and it took me a while to keep it straight. (A "watch" means the conditions are ripe for a tornado to form, a "warning" means one has been spotted.)

I learned that green sky spelled trouble, so when we saw ominous greenish clouds gathering one afternoon, we knew to turn on the TV. A tornado watch had been issued in our area, which then turned to a warning.

Then the tornado siren sounded outside. Time to take cover.

We didn't have a basement, so my husband and I grabbed our 4-year-old and shut ourselves into our first-floor bathroom, the only room in our townhome without any windows. The wind began to howl, getting louder and louder until it didn't sound like wind anymore. Imagine static blaring on a TV, only with more layers, both deeper and higher-pitched. The sliding glass door in our dining room rattled. Our daughter cried and I prayed. It lasted maybe five or ten minutes.


When the quiet returned and we emerged, we discovered the tornado hadn't even come all that close to us. One had touched down a few miles away, in the middle of a field. No damage, no one hurt.

That experience was scary enough; I can't imagine the terror of actually having a tornado on top of you, nor can I imagine being a storm chaser who actually runs towards those dark skies and raging winds.

Storm chasers provide a view of tornados that we wouldn't otherwise get to see, but "extreme meteorologist" Reed Timmer's hi-res drone capture of a tornado whipping through Andover, Kansas on April 30 offers a visual that even most storm chasers haven't been able to provide. Tornado footage is usually somewhat grainy or fuzzy, even when the person with the camera is able to get close, but Timmer's drone footage offers stunning detail.

No lives were lost in this tornado, which Timmer said was an EF3. (The Enhanced Fujita scale measures the intensity of tornados, and ranges from F0 (light damage—damaged billboards, some tree branches broken) to F5 (incredible damage—strong homes lifted off their foundations and disintegrated, trees uprooted and debarked). In this video, you can see roofs being lifted off of buildings like they're made of cardboard. It's incredible.

Watch:

Timmer then compiled his drone footage with additional footage taken from the ground and shared it on YouTube.

"Audio has been softened for the faint of heart," Timmer shared. "Miraculously, no lives were lost from this tornado despite immense damage and nearly 1000 structures impacted."

Seeing the tornado touching down from multiple perspectives is both terrifying and fascinating. Watching the funnel cloud form and meander in the sky before causing such immense destruction is strangely mesmerizing. What an odd phenomenon.

Seriously, storm chasers live on a whole other level than the rest of us. Watch:

via Grahame / Flickr, @imeyrick / TikTok

The UK is experiencing record-breaking weather this week. England reached its hottest temperature of the year on Tuesday when it hit 32.2°C at Heathrow Airport in west London. Temperatures in Northern Ireland reached an all-time high when 31.3°C was recorded at Castlederg the next day.

However, when you translate Celsius to Fahrenheit, the temperatures don't seem to be that extreme, at least to an American. Thirty-two degrees celsius is only 89.6° F. When you compare the temperatures in the UK to an average July day in Las Vegas, Nevada where it'll hit 107°F, the British seem a little weak.



An American TikTokker named Rae pointed out that the temperatures weren't that hot in a viral video.

The clip shows her reading the headline, which says: "UK sees hottest day of 2021 as temperatures soar to 31.6°C." In a voiceover, she says, "I wonder how much that is in Fahrenheit."

She converts the temperature on a website and found that it only equates to 88.88°F. "The British are p******," she says.

The video has since been deleted.

However, a British TikTokker named @imeyrick pushed back against claims that the British can't handle hot weather by pointing out how the country's infrastructure isn't set up to handle the heat.


@imeyrick

#stitch with @rae_harmon leave us alone we’re hot 🥵

"Point number one, we don't have air conditioning, anywhere," the 27-year-old explains. "Apart from, like, retail outlets. Some places will have it. But most homes do not have air conditioning. They're not built with air conditioning, the best we can have is portable stuff."

Just imagine what it would be like to be stuck in 89°F weather all day without being able to cool off by turning on the A/C?

"Point number two is that our buildings are insulated to hell because we typically have mild summers and cold winters. So our buildings are designed to hold the heat to save energy costs," he continued.

He also makes the point that British people's bodies aren't used to heat. Much like if someone from California were to go to England during the winter, they'd be extremely uncomfortable.

"And point number three, your body will adjust to the climate that you live in," he said.

"We don't get that much hot weather, it lasts for about two to three weeks. Our bodies don't have time to adjust, therefore our bodies literally cannot handle the heat," he said.

The video received a lot of positive comments from Americans who live in the UK.

One commented: "I'm from California, 103°F summers no problem. I'm in Kent, it's 80°F and I'm dying. There is no relief. Not having ac is a huge difference."

Another wrote: "I'm from Florida, living in London now, and yeah. it hits differently here."

The good news for people in the UK is that the heatwave looks like it'll subside soon. Thunderstorms are predicted to hit most of England and Wales over the weekend, bringing temps back down to a reasonable level.