* WHAT…Dangerous rip currents and breaking waves due to
elevated surf expected.

* WHERE…Santa Barbara County Southwestern Coast and Santa
Barbara County Southeastern Coast.

* WHEN…Through Monday morning.

* IMPACTS…There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip
currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can
wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats
nearshore.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Minor Beach erosion and isolated minor
coastal flooding is possible. Most likely during the evening
high tides (7pm to 11pm) tonight.
Remain out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions, or
stay near occupied lifeguard towers. Rock jetties can be deadly
in such conditions, stay off the rocks.

The post Beach Hazards Statement issued May 17 at 9:02AM PDT until May 18 at 9:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Meteorologist Taylor Ward, CNN

(CNN) — After a quiet start to May, the atmosphere over the central United States is primed for an outbreak.

A volatile stretch of severe thunderstorms is expected to unfold across the Plains and Midwest through Tuesday, bringing the risk of intense tornadoes — EF3 or stronger — destructive hail, damaging winds and heavy rain to a region where spring’s most dangerous storms often arrive with considerable force.

May is notorious for severe thunderstorm outbreaks in the Plains and Midwest, and this one could live up to that reputation. This is a big shift from what has been a quiet start to the month, because of a jet stream pattern that has suppressed widespread severe storms until now.

The tornado threat is significant Sunday and Monday. The storm threat shifts east on Tuesday.

The weather pattern is also setting the stage for wildfires. There’s significant fire risk in the Southwest from Arizona to southwest Kansas — we’ll walk through some details on that threat after we talk about the timing for severe storms below.

Day by day

Sunday

Storms will rapidly develop during the mid to late afternoon across Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The afternoon storms will be capable of producing very large hail.

The evening brings the highest tornado threat, from about 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT across eastern Nebraska, southeast South Dakota and western Iowa, including Omaha, Lincoln and Sioux City.

Monday

A widespread outbreak of severe thunderstorms is possible as the biggest surge of jet stream energy interacts with copious amounts of moisture in the Plains.

Supercells that erupt in the afternoon will likely spin up tornadoes — some of them EF2 or stronger — and produce very large hail. The highest threat of strong tornadoes stretches from central and eastern Kansas into southeastern Nebraska and northwestern Missouri. Widespread damaging winds will become the primary concern by late evening, although a few tornadoes will still be possible into the overnight hours.

What’s still uncertain is how storms and their cloud cover in the morning will affect conditions in the afternoon. That will play a role in pinpointing the areas with the biggest tornado threat — places where storms from Sunday night linger into the morning will have less energy for the afternoon and evening storms to tap into.

Tuesday

Ongoing thunderstorms are likely Tuesday morning from northern Texas to Michigan. The potential for strong to severe storms will ramp up again through the afternoon. However, as the cold front becomes dominant trigger for storms, the tornado threat will diminish, and wind and hail will become the primary threats.

Wildfire threat

A level 3 of 3, extremely critical fire threat exists in the Southern High Plains Sunday and Monday. Areas from southwestern Kansas to the Texas Panhandle and northeastern New Mexico are under the highest threat, while a level 2 of 3, critical threat covers a much larger area, including much of New Mexico.

The same system bringing dangerous tornadoes to the Central Plains and Midwest will be the culprit for very dry and windy conditions in the Southern High Plains. Sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph, gusts up to 50 mph and relative humidity under 10% will combine with dry fuels causing any fires that ignite to spread at a life-threating pace, accordi

Story by AP

(CNN) — One of four Canadians who returned home from a cruise ship where there was a hantavirus outbreak received a “presumptive positive” test result for the virus, Canadian officials said Saturday.

Results from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg to confirm the case are expected to come over the weekend, said Dr. Bonnie Henry, the public health officer for the province of British Columbia.

“Clearly this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” Henry said.

The person, one member of a couple in their 70s, began showing mild symptoms, including a fever and headache, two days ago. Both are in a hospital in Victoria.

“The patient is stable, the symptoms remain mild at this point,” said Henry. “They are still in hospital, in isolation, being monitored and receiving care as needed.”

The second person showed “very minor symptoms” and tests were negative, she said.

“It is encouraging that symptoms were identified early, supportive care can be provided, and they will be monitored carefully over the next few days,” Henry said.

Three people have died since the hantavirus outbreak began on the MV Hondius. If confirmed, the Canadian patient would be the 10th person from the ship to test positive. The outbreak on the ship has reached 12 cases, nine of which have been confirmed. Among those who died are a Dutch couple who health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America.

The four Canadians returned to British Columbia on May 10. Besides the couple in their 70s from the Yukon, there was a person in their 70s from Vancouver Island and a person from British Columbia in their 50s who lives abroad.

All were in isolation.

Henry said the hantavirus is different from COVID-19 and is not considered to have “pandemic potential.”

“I want to reassure everybody in that for most of us the situation has not changed,” she said. “We’ve had infection control precautions in place from the moment these people arrived in British Columbia.

“I’m confident there’s no additional risk. We are well prepared to respond carefully and appropriately to keep everyone safe.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Por Laura Sharman, CNN

Buzos especializados en cuevas de distintas partes del mundo llegaron a Maldivas para intensificar la búsqueda de los restos de cuatro italianos que murieron mientras practicaban buceo en el archipiélago, un día después de que un militar muriera durante el intento de recuperación.

Tres buzos finlandeses de Divers Alert Network, un grupo global de seguridad en buceo, llegaron a Maldivas este domingo y se dirigían a reunirse con el equipo local de la guardia costera para trabajar en una nueva estrategia que permita completar la misión, dijo Mohamed Hussain Shareef, principal portavoz del Gobierno de Maldivas.

“Fueron recomendados por Italia y han realizado inmersiones profundas y en cuevas alrededor del mundo”, dijo Shareef a CNN.

Se espera que un cuarto experto en buceo se una al equipo finlandés este domingo, junto con equipos especializados provenientes de Australia y el Reino Unido.

Cinco buzos italianos murieron después de explorar el atolón Vaavu el jueves, lo que desencadenó una misión multinacional de recuperación. Formaban parte de una expedición de buceo junto a otros 20 ciudadanos italianos a bordo de la embarcación Duke of York, según el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Italia.

El cadáver del instructor de buceo Gianluca Benedetti fue encontrado en la entrada de la cueva, lo que llevó a las autoridades a creer que los otros cuatro permanecen dentro, dijo Shareef.

Se trata de Monica Montefalcone, profesora asociada de Ecología en la Universidad de Génova; su hija Giorgia Sommacal; el biólogo marino Federico Gualtieri; y la investigadora Muriel Oddenino.

El intento de recuperar los cadáveres ya cobró otra vida, lo que subraya el peligro y la complejidad de la operación.

El buzo militar de alto rango, sargento Mohamed Mahudhee, de 43 años, murió el sábado durante una segunda misión de recuperación dentro de la cueva, que en su punto más profundo está a 70 metros bajo la superficie —aproximadamente la altura de un edificio de 20 pisos— y tiene 200 metros de longitud.

“Era uno de los buzos con más experiencia, lo que demuestra lo desafiante que es esta inmersión”, dijo Shareef.

“Estaba buceando en pareja, como dicta el protocolo, y regresaba a la superficie cuando su compañero se dio cuenta de que algo iba mal y el resto del equipo intervino para intentar salvarlo”.

Mahudhee fue sepultado con honores militares en una ceremonia fúnebre en Malé, donde miles de personas presentaron sus respetos, incluido el presidente Mohamed Muizzu, funcionarios de turismo y militares, así como embajadores extranjeros.

Cada inmersión de rescate está limitada a unas tres horas debido a los requisitos de oxígeno y descompresión, explicó Shareef.

Durante la operación de recuperación del sábado, dos buzos marcaron la entrada de la cueva enviando un globo hacia la superficie del agua. Esto permitió que el resto del equipo nadara directamente hacia el punto y maximizara el tiempo dentro de la cueva.

Sin embargo, las condiciones son extremadamente difíciles, con fuertes corrientes impredecibles, pasadizos estrechos que conducen a una enorme cámara y oscuridad total en todo momento, dijo Shareef.

“Hay que ser un experto para este nivel de buceo”, añadió.

Antes de regresar a la superficie, los buzos deben permanecer en aguas poco profundas para descomprimir después de ascender desde las profundidades de la cueva.

Las autoridades creen que Mahudhee, integrante de la fuerza de defensa nacional, murió por complicaciones durante este proceso.

Maldivas cuenta con amplios protocolos de seguridad acuática y buzos expertos, dijo Shareef, quien señaló que el territorio marítimo del archipiélago es unas 3.000 veces mayor que su superficie terrestre.

Carlo Sommacal, esposo de Montefalcone y padre de Giorgia, dijo no saber qué pudo haber causado el acc