Data capturing hot spots and burned acres show Canada wildfire season off to wild start
While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is.
Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild — and scary — start.
Twice a day a NASA satellite sends images to the ground, giving a real-time view of where fires are burning. This is especially useful for remote areas where no sensors are stationed.
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3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Semaglutide Increases Walking Capacity in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes
Common obesity drug reduced the risk of disease progression by 54% CHICAGO, June 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a new analysis demonstrates the vascular benefits of semaglutide in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and type 2 diabetes, including improvement in symptoms, quality of life, and disease progression in patients. An analysis of the STRIDE trial was presented as a late-breaking symposium at the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) in Chicago and simultaneously published in Diabetes Care®. PAD is a serious condition impacting 230 million individuals globally and up to 30% of people with diabetes. PAD narrows arteries and reduces blood flow to the legs, causing marked disability, affecting quality of life, and putting people at increased risk of severe complications including amputations and death. Treatment options are currently limited, and little advancements in PAD treatment have occurred for more than 25 years. The STRIDE trial is a phase 3, multinational, double-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted at 112 outpatient clinical trial sites in 20 countries in North America, Asia, and Europe. 792 patients aged 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes and PAD with intermittent claudication (a symptom of PAD that causes muscle pain or cramping in the legs during physical activity) and reduced ankle-brachial or toe-brachial index (indicators of restricted blood flow to the legs), were randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide (n=396) or placebo (n=396) over a 52-week period to assess the impact on walking capacity, symptoms, and quality of life. The median age was 68 years, and 195 (25%) participants were female and 597 (75%) were male. The sub-analysis builds on results previously published in The Lancet, demonstrating that semaglutide significantly improved walking outcomes in people with PAD and diabetes, enhanced quality of life, and reduced the risk of disease progression by 54%. At week 52, the estimated median ratio to baseline in maximum walking distance was 1.21 in the semaglutide group compared to 1.08 in the placebo group. Semaglutide was well tolerated, with no treatment-related deaths and a low rate of serious adverse events (1%), consistent with its known safety profile. The analyses from STRIDE presented new and critical information on the benefits of semaglutide, which were observed independent of baseline levels of A1C, duration of diabetes, or intensity of diabetes. Furthermore, the benefits were seen across all BMI categories and regardless of the treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors. "These findings indicate that clinicians can now recognize semaglutide as a vascular protective medication, with benefits that extend beyond lowering weight or A1C," said Professor Subodh Verma, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FAHA, FCAHS, cardiovascular surgeon, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, and senior author of the STRIDE trial. "The totality of data now suggest that in people with diabetes, semaglutide favorably affects the pipes [atherosclerosis], pump [heart failure], filter [kidney outcomes]. And, in patients with PAD, these new data provide robust evidence that semaglutide is a therapy to improve their function, quality of life, and progression of disease."The study authors indicate that further research is warranted to understand whether these benefits extend to individuals with PAD who do not have diabetes. Research presentation details:Dr. Verma will present the findings at the following symposium: Symposium: Diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease—Evolving Role of GLP-1 RA and New Insights from the STRIDE Trial Presented on Saturday, June 21 at 1:30 p.m. CT About the ADA's Scientific SessionsThe ADA's 85th Scientific Sessions, the world's largest scientific meeting focused on diabetes research, prevention, and care, will be held in Chicago, IL, on June 20–23. Thousands of leading physicians, scientists, and health care professionals from around the world are expected to convene both in person and virtually to unveil cutting-edge research, treatment recommendations, and advances toward a cure for diabetes. Attendees will receive exclusive access to thousands of original research presentations and take part in provocative and engaging exchanges with leading diabetes experts. Join the Scientific Sessions conversation on social media using #ADASciSessions. About the American Diabetes AssociationThe American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people thrive. This year, the ADA celebrates 85 years of driving discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure—and we're not stopping. There are 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Through advocacy, program development, and education, we're fighting for them all. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383). Join us in the fight on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). To learn more about how we are advocating for everyone affected by diabetes, visit us on X (@AmDiabetesAssn). Media Contact: Mimi Carmody, MCarmody@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE American Diabetes Association Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hazardous heat in Ontario grows with rising severe storm, tornado risk
Heat and a growing thunderstorm threat this weekend will pose a threat to outdoor plans in southern Ontario. A large cluster of storms is forecast to sweep across southern Ontario Saturday, but with some uncertainty in timing and intensity. However, there is a widespread chance of severe storms north and east of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with torrential rainfall, large hail and potent wind gusts as the main hazards. There is even a tornado risk in northeastern Ontario. DON'T MISS: Be sure to keep an eye on local weather alerts as conditions change. In addition to the storm threat, high heat and humidity are expected. Together, they are a dangerous combination––even for relatively healthy individuals. Use extreme caution this weekend and next week as temperatures soar. The ridge of high pressure responsible for the building heat will nudge toward Ontario to start the weekend. This 'ring of fire,' as meteorologists call it, can serve as the focus for development of strong to severe thunderstorms. These clusters of storms can be quite difficult to forecast—but also quite intense with strong winds, torrential rain, and vivid lightning. RELATED: Renewed rounds of storms are expected to develop Saturday afternoon and continue into the overnight hours. Click here to view the video The first batch of storms could build through the late afternoon and evening for northeastern, central and eastern Ontario. The second round could arrive late Saturday night and continue into the overnight hours. There is still lots of uncertainty on how these storms will develop, but all modes of severe weather will be possible—including torrential rains, strong wind gusts, large hail, and even one or two tornadoes in northeastern Ontario (severe-likely region). Make sure you have a way to receive severe weather warnings the moment they're issued. We'll see temperatures and humidity increase to dangerous levels as the ridge of high pressure intensifies through the weekend and into next week. Southern Ontario will endure a multi-day stretch of extreme heat and humidity beginning Sunday, with temperatures climbing into the low- to mid-30s and humidex values rising toward the mid-40s. Sunday through Tuesday will serve as the focus of the extreme heat and humidity. We're expecting at least three days of temperatures of 33°C or higher across most of the GTA and southwest—with daytime humidex values into the mid-40s. Overnight lows will remain in the mid 20s, providing little relief for those living without reliable access to air conditioning. If Toronto airport reaches a temperature of 35°C, likely on Monday, it would fall in the top-10 warmest June days on record. If we see three or more consecutive days of 33°C or higher at Pearson airport, it will have been 13 years (since 2012) since we experienced a stretch of heat like this in June. Record-breaking or not, this is an impressive heat wave that needs to be taken seriously. Drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can be dehydrating. Avoid direct sunlight, especially during peak hours and when the UV rating is high. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. Use air conditioning when possible. If you do not have access to air conditioning, consider visiting a cooling centre, a shopping centre, or a public library. Check on elderly relatives and other vulnerable neighbors. Avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day. If you experience symptoms of heat-related illnesses like dizziness, nausea, or confusion, seek medical attention. Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Ontario. Click here to view the video
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How does a rockslide happen? 'The mountain that moves' was Canada's deadliest
A large rockslide in Banff National Park at Bow Glacier Falls left two hikers dead and up to 13 others injured Thursday, raising questions about how and why the disaster occurred. But a look at published research and archive news articles on rockslides provides some general information about the dangerous occurrences. A rockslide happens when a large chunk of rock detaches itself from the mountain where it sits and begins sliding down the slope. Why does this occur? Well, natural erosion or seismic activity can cause a rockslide, as can heavy rainfalls. Human activity such as excavation, construction or mining can also lead to a rockslide. As one chunk of rock begins its downward slide, it can quickly gain momentum and trigger massive amounts of other rock to also begin sliding, leading to devastating effects. notes a landslide or rockslide can occur 'when gravitational and other types of shear stresses within a slope exceed the shear strength (resistance to shearing) of the materials that form the slope.' Dr. Dan Shugar, a University of Calgary geoscience professor, said rockslides are a fairly common geological phenomenon, particularly in the Rocky Mountains, due to how steep the slopes are. The composition of rock is largely limestone, which is susceptible to water saturation, making the rocks heavier. 'Ultimately, the cause is gravity,' he said. 'Mountains get built up over geological time and then they get torn down. That's an entirely natural process. 'We see rockfalls, rock avalanches, rockslides — we see a variety of mass wasting in mountain environments all the time. They range from a small boulder that would hurt you if it hit you but wouldn't be that damaging to entire mountain sides collapsing, and everything in between.' A landslide occurs when sediment or loose dirt disengages from a hill or mountain and begins moving downwards. A rockslide, however, means solid rocks are also being swept down a slope during a similar type of event. Rockslides are also incredibly fast-moving, as they tend to move down a flat surface of a mountain. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes a rockslide can move up to 100 km/hr. The most horrific rockslide in Canadian history occurred in 1903 when a huge slab of Turtle Mountain crashed down onto the town of Frank and Crowsnest Pass (about 250 kilometres southwest of Calgary). At least 72 known residents were killed in the natural disaster, as were an undetermined number of others visiting or passing through the area. Some historians thus put the death toll closer to 90. An estimated 80 to 110 million tonnes of rock were involved in the deadly event that came to be known as Frank Slide. The rockslide only lasted about a minute and a half. Newspaper clippings and archive stories from the rockslide describe the horrific results that led to the deaths of men, women and children. As those clippings note, information about the state of some of the victims was disturbing, but shed light on how powerful the rockslide was: 'The leg and hip of a man was found lying fifty yards from the Imperial Hotel.' First Nations people in the area had noticed instability in the mountain decades earlier and even had a name for it that translated to 'the mountain that moves.' The geological structure of Turtle Mountain was said to be the primary cause of Frank Slide, but weather impacts and coal mining were also noted as factors in the deadly rockslide. An interpretive centre in Frank now tells the story of the slide and history of the area. Other Canadian rockslides of note include the 1841 rockfall in the Lower Town of Quebec City, killing 32 people and crushing eight homes, and the 1889 rockslide in the same area that killed more than 40, says the Canadian Encyclopedia. The worst rockslide worldwide was the Haiyuan Landslides of 1920 in China, when more than 200,000 people were killed. An earthquake caused those landslides. Apart from the Frank Slide, Shugar said Alberta has surprisingly not had that many significant rockfall events. He noted B.C. tends to get more, citing the Hope Slide of 1965 as an example. 'It certainly was a very big, impressive landslide right by the highway,' he said. The 680-tonne Big Rock, a type of quartzite, is an intriguing tourist attraction at Rocky Mountain House in Alberta, but how did this boulder measuring 9.7 metres by 9.4 metres by 5.5 metres get there? Well, the Rocky Mountain House Mountaineer reported the following 11 years back: 'Right around 20,000 years ago the Late Wisconsinan Glaciation was at its height; it was a glacier that could have been one kilometre thick. We know that all of the rocks in the Foothills Erratic Train come from the upper Athabasca drainage area south of Jasper,' said author and geologist Ben Gadd. 'A rockslide, almost certainly, dropped the rocks on the glacier. The glacier then eventually began to flow eastward until running into the Laurentide ice sheet (a glacier much larger than the one carrying the boulders) right around the Edson area. The larger glacier forced the smaller one to begin to move southeastward, right towards Rocky Mountain House.' Along with this Big Rock, another famous boulder that is part of the Foothills Erratic Train is the big rock in Okotoks, south of Calgary. The Okotoks Erratic is 16,500 tonnes in size, but was discovered in large pieces rather than a single stone. As the glacier, now on a new path, moved in the southeastward direction, it slowly began to melt. And as this process continued, the boulders that fell and became embedded in the glacier from the upper Athabasca drainage area began to drop from the flowing glacier. According to Shugar, the U of C geoscientist, the short answer is probably yes. The reason for that is due to how climate change is accelerating glacial retreat, which causes rock to become less stable. Temperature and precipitation changes are other components, as warmer temperatures can melt more ice and increased rainfall can change glacial mass or erode cliffs, making them steeper. 'These landscapes, as they become newly created or newly exposed by glacier retreat, they often are unstable,' Shugar said. 'There's a sort of relaxation time over which they adjust to this new paradigm, new reality for them. Quite often they're very steep because of glacier erosion and so they need time to relax back to a geographical equilibrium.' In glaciated mountains like in the Rockies, Shugar said that as glaciers retreat, we can expect to see more landslides. In the case of the Bow Glacier Falls rockslide, he suspects there have been side-effects due to the recent creation of a new proglacial lake, which formed just 70 years ago at the toe of the Bow Glacier. He suspects that over those seven decades, water from that new lake has been seeping into the rock, saturating it over the years and making it heavier. 'We see this all over the place,' he said. 'This isn't unique to this particular location, but I suspect part of the ultimate cause of this event yesterday (Thursday) was that saturated rock.'
