The Barbados Meteorological Services has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Barbados. A Flash Flood Watch is issued when heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time (generally less than 6 hours) could result in flash flooding within the watch area. It does not mean that flooding will occur, but it is possible. The BMS says pockets of low-level convergence aided by a marginally favourable upper-level pattern are currently triggering occasionally cloudy skies, showers and some thunderstorm activity. This is expected to peak this afternoon and a gradual improvement is expected overnight. Possible moderate to significant impacts: Runoff from higher elevations Soil erosion on exposed or scarred land surfaces Water settlements on roads and fields at the foot of hills and coastal roads Adjustments to water levels of existing water bodies (ponds etc.) Objects or debris from higher elevations become embedded within fast-moving water flows. Delays on traffic routes with some roads becoming impassable The public should be aware this alert level could elevate to red, and is encouraged to monitor official sources for further updates. This Flash Flood Watch will be terminated at 6:00 p.m. today.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC — A geologist with the Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) Tuesday said that the high temperatures detected at the La Soufriere volcano on Sunday are unusual when the volcano is not erupting. “That’s why it’s sort of piqued our interest because … since 2021 we have not had any of this kind of signal coming out,”  Professor Richard Robertson said on the state-owned NBC Radio. Robertson, a Vincentian, is based at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) SRC and played a key role in monitoring the volcano after it began erupting effusively in December 2020. On April 8, 2021, he forecast accurately that the volcano would erupt in less than 24 hours. He said on Tuesday that given the unusual activity at the volcano, scientists are looking at it “even more closely and being more cautious”, adding that thermal spots are normal at volcanoes that are erupting or that in some state of unrest. “Having this abnormally high temperature would not be usual at volcanoes that are in the state that Soufriere is supposed to be — in between eruptions,” he told radio listeners. “And certainly, it was not normal for this particular volcano, because it’s the first time we have seen it since 2021, which is why the information went out at a very early stage that this is something that we have noted and that the public need to be cautious about it.” On Monday, the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said that the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system had on Sunday detected above-normal temperatures at the 4,000-foot volcano, the nation’s highest peak. NEMO advised people to stay away from the volcano but pointed out that the alert level remains at green or normal, the lowest of the four-level scale. “People shouldn’t now start getting overly concerned  We have dealt with an eruption in the past and we know that it’s being monitored,” Robertson said, adding that the volcano monitoring mechanism has “picked up something very early, and we are saying let’s check it out a little bit more and make sure we know it’s one or the other before we have people walking about or … before we get to a different stage. “… it’s not unusual at volcanos, but it was unusual at this one because it hadn’t happened in the last two years or three years.” Speaking on the radio programme, NEMO Director, Michelle Forbes, said that members of the Soufriere monitoring team would climb the volcano later on Tuesday to collect gas samples. Monitors are also hoping to get a clear view inside the crater, Forbes said, noting that the elevation and rain often affect visibility. Forbes said the team had visited the volcano on Friday. “They did not see anything visually unusual, but they collected the gas samples,” she said, adding that the samples are usually sent virtually to Montserrat for analysis. She said the analysis began on Monday and NEMO was hoping to get some feedback later on Tuesday. The Coast Guard had travelled up the west coast and collected gases for analysis on Monday, Forbes said. “This is a daily activity for the unit. And we also check in on all of our equipment along the island,” Forbes said, noting that there are over 15 GPS and seismic stations across the island that monitor the volcano and more are being installed. Robertson said that scientists are especially interested in finding out if the volcano’s sulphur dioxide output has increased. “… the way in which magmas get rid of their gasses, you tend to find that sulphur dioxide is one of the gasses that you would often have enriched or high amounts of if you have a fresh new magma close to the surface,” he explained. “So, we’d be looking particularly at whether or not the sulphur dioxide output, which is currently very low, or, in fact, negligible, almost you can’t detect it, because it’s such a small amount relative to the other gasses. We’d be looking to see if it’s increased.” He noted that the gases would be analysed by Thomas Christopher, a resident scientist at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, who is a specialist in this field. “And so far, the measurements that he’s collected indicated that the sulphur dioxide might not have changed,” Robertson said. “So, the signals are looking more positive in terms of this not being a restart of things, which is what we all don’t want to see at this point in time.” So far, scientists have offered three possible explanations for the above-normal temperatures. “That unusual thing could be hot spots like we might be seeing now. It could be more fumaroles; it could be explosive activity. It could be effusive activity. That’s the reality. So, the point is that once you live in St Vincent, and if you live here, you call this beautiful land your home, Soufriere and the activity of Soufriere is going to be something that we have to live with. “And when I say live with, it means that it has to become something that we prepare for and deal with if and when it does rise to it, which is what we’re doing now by monitoring it, by telling people what’s happening and telling them to listen out and bear in mind that they have to take action, stay away from the volcano for a little bit or they may have to move, that kind of thing. We have to be prepared for that kind of thing in the future.” La Soufriere displaced an estimated  20,000 people, about one-fifth of the population, when it erupted in April 2021. It also destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and other buildings in the volcano red and orange zones and resulted in extensive damage to agriculture and forestry.

By Clare Duffy, CNN New York (CNN) — A bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health. The lawsuits take issue with various elements of the TikTok platform, including its endlessly scrolling feed of content, TikTok “challenge” videos that sometimes encourage users to engage in risky behavior and late-night push notifications that the attorneys general claim can disrupt kids’ sleep. The lawsuits were each filed separately by members of the coalition, co-led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. And they mark just the latest legal pressure facing TikTok, which is also battling a law that could see it banned in the United States as soon as next year, a lawsuit from the US Justice Department alleging the platform unlawfully collected children’s data and several state actions. In June, New York’s governor also signed into law a bill to regulate social media algorithms; for example, it will require platforms to display content in chronological order to users under the age of 18, which could force TikTok to overhaul how it operates. And last month, 42 state attorneys general called on US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to require labels on social media apps warning of their potential harm to young users. “We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement. “We’re proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product. We provide robust safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users, and have voluntarily launched safety features.” TikTok, for its part, has repeatedly said it believes its platform is safe for children and that it offers safety features such as default screentime limits for young users and optional parental oversight tools. Haurek added that TikTok has “endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industrywide challenges.” However, the group of states involved in Tuesday’s action claim TikTok is not doing enough. “TikTok’s underlying business model focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the platform so the company can boost revenue from selling targeted ads,” the attorneys general said in a statement. “TikTok uses an addictive, content-recommendation system designed to keep minors on the platform as long as possible and as often as possible, despite the dangers of compulsive use.” The complaint filed by James alleges that TikTok “knows that compulsive use of and other harmful effects of its platform are wreaking havoc on the mental health of millions of American children and teenagers.” It also states that, “TikTok considers users under the age of 13 to be a critical demographic,” despite saying it allows only users 13 and older on the platform. The complaint references internal TikTok documents, although it is heavily redacted. James alleges that the platform’s focus on “profits over safety has make TikTok extremely profitable,” noting that TikTok’s 2023 US revenue reached $16 billion, according to the complaint. The complaint also cites a Harvard study that claimed TikTok earned $2 billion in ad revenue in 2022 from US teens aged 13 to 17. TikTok’s so-called beauty filters – which manipulate users’ images, often by making them appear thinner or as if they are wearing makeup – can “encourage unhealthy, negative social comparison, body image issues, and related mental and physical health disorders” by creating “an impossible standard” for teens, the complaint alleges. It also alleges that TikTok “challenges,” viral trends where users try to replicate videos created by others, can encourage dangerous behavior among young users. Earlier this year, a teen boy died in Brooklyn while riding on the outside of a subway train, a stunt known as “subway surfing,” and his mother later “found videos promoting subway surfing in a challenge on his TikTok account,” the complaint states. TikTok previously cooperated with New York authorities to remove subway surfing content, the New York Times reported in January. James’ complaint also accuses TikTok of violating the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (known as “COPPA”) by failing to prevent children under the age of 13 from joining the app and collecting their personal information without parental consent. It states that TikTok claims the platform is not for children under the age of 13, but that it “features child-directed subject matter, characters, activities, music, and other content as well as advertisements directed to children.” “By maximizing the TikTok platform’s addictive properties, TikTok has cultivated a generation of young users who spend hours per day on its platform—more than they would otherwise choose to—which is highly detrimental to teens’ development and ability to attend to personal needs and responsibilities,” James’ complaint states. The lawsuit seeks financial penalties against TikTok, including a requirement that the platform repay any profits it received from ads directed to New York teens or pre-teens. CNN’s Matt Egan contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.