Currently in Toronto — June 16th, 2022
The weather, currently.
A humid and unstable airmass will help set the conditions for another round of potentially severe thunderstorms on Thursday. Humidex readings will be in the mid-thirties across the region, with a heat warning in place for SW ON. It will be dry very early Thursday morning, but some scattered thundershowers will likely move in towards the end of the rush hour. The wake-up temperature will be 21°C, but will feel like 26°C already. For the afternoon, a mix of sun and cloud will arrive until the cold front passes through — that will trigger the risk of thunderstorms again. It is important to note that much of the day will be dry, but some storm cells could approach severe limits. Hail and strong winds would be the main features of these storms. The high is 29°C, feeling like 36°C. The wind will be gusty at times, with a SW flow of 25-50km/h. The UV index will be 10 or very high.
Thursday night: mainly clear and remaining warm with a low of 19°C.
What you need to know, currently.
Goats — yes, goats — could prevent wildfires in California, according to National Geographic.
The continuation of the megadrought in the West — which has made the region the driest its been in 1,200 years — along with the upcoming dry winter and looming effects of climate change will surely worsen this year’s fire season. And, dead vegetation has increased the number of California wildfires as well. Megablazes, which are fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are devastating the state more and more, too.
During past fire seasons, land managers have utilized herbicide and human labor to clear out some of the foliage and non-native plants that compete with the state’s native vegetation. When non-native species die off, they become fuel for wildfires. And sometimes, these clearing methods still left seeds behind.
As a result, more and more people in California are bringing in goats to clear the land and in turn, prevent wildfires. When the goats eat any unwanted or non-native vegetation, the plants’ seeds become nonviable.
So, next time you see a horned herbivore trotting around, munching on some vegetation, thank it for its service. It could be stopping a fire.
—Aarohi Sheth