Taban Sharifi grew up in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. She is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). She has a B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Go Bruins! While in school, Taban was a meteorology intern with NBC LA. There she helped forecast daily weather for the greater Los Angeles region and created a playbook to deploy weather sensors for NBC owned-and-operated stations across the country. Her first on-air job took her to San Angelo, Texas, where she was a morning meteorologist and co-anchor. Working in West Texas gave her knowledge and experience covering severe storms. From there, she moved to Palm Springs, California. People think forecasting in California is sunshine all the time, but with temperatures in the 120’s, wildfires, damaging winds, floodings, and earthquakes, the forecasting kept her very busy! She also worked there as a general assignment reporter and told community stories. Taban is excited for the challenge and opportunity to forecast nationally with WeatherNation. She also looks forward to exploring all that Colorado has to offer!

Taban Sharifi

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<p>A ridge of high pressure has dominated the southern U.S., with multiple records being broken daily. Miami, Florida, saw a record of 100° Tuesday, which ties the previous record of 100°, set in 1942. This is only the second time Miami has reached this temperature since records began in 1895! The heat alerts will remain in place across the south through Wednesday.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-19 074145-1787146912208.png">Feels-like temperatures remain dangerously hot across the central and southern United States. Many areas will feel like 110-115 in the afternoon. Charleston will have a high of 96° on Wednesday, but a feels-like temperature of 113°.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-19 074215-1787146939630.png">Many cities across the South will be challenging the potential of tying to break records across the South, as this high-pressure system dominates.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-19 074226-1787146951730.png">Heat alerts are in place across the Southwest too. This includes Las Vegas, Phoenix, and parts of California.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-19 074245-1787147007891.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-19 074334-1787147020120.png"></p>

Stifling Heat Holds Steady for Southern U.S.

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WeatherNation Meteorologists

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<p>Last week, several rounds of storms moved through areas of the Midwest, producing significant wind gusts and flash flooding. Another cold front will arrive shortly after the previous front leaves, sparking a new wave of severe storms, including potential for flash flooding.</p><h1>Forecast</h1><p>Along the front, isolated to scattered severe storms have been moving through, prompting severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Storms will continue overnight across these areas and new ones will likely form into Wednesday afternoon.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/08-18 rnc overnight-1787102698299.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Outlooks</h1><p>The SPC has maintained a <strong>SLIGHT</strong> (level 2 out of 5) risk for severe weather across the Plains and Midwest overnight.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-18 192304-1787102611107.png">The same frontal system will continue to stall out into more of the Mid-South as we head into Wednesday. A slight risk close to the low has been issued into Arkansas and Missouri.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-18 192309-1787102642354.png"></p><p>By Tuesday, heavy rain will become a bigger hazard, with scattered flash flooding possible for areas in dark green (below). Soils are saturated from last week's rain in many of these areas, meaning runoff or flooding will occur more quickly than normal. Totals can get up to 3" in some isolated spots.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-18 03-43-06-1787046202452.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-18 034157-1787046130096.png"></p>

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<p>Lala continues to move westward of Kauai, still bringing bands of heavy rainfall and gusty winds to portions of the smaller Hawaiian Islands.</p><p>The Hawaii Department of Transportation reported that parts of Highway 11 on the Big Island were shut down due to flooding. More than 130,000 customers lost power Saturday at the height of the storm. As the storm moves west-northwest, expect conditions to slowly improve as the blustery showers back off.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2088807962383143316" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2088807962383143316"></div><p>Flooding continues to be a problem for Hawaii as all of this rain makes it back into the ocean. Some areas picked up more than 3 FEET of rain thanks to Lala!</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-17 101407-1786983268612.jpg"></p><p>Lala, now over open Pacific waters, has strengthened back into a hurricane. According to the NHC, Lala is expected to remain a category 2. At this point, additional impacts to the Hawaiian Islands are over, but surf and rip currents will be something to watch. Larger swells generated by the system could amplify these coastal concerns.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-18 192701-1787102828054.png"></p>

Alana Cameron

Hawaii Cleaning Up after Lala Grazed the Islands

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Kevin Schneider

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<p><strong>MIDWEST - </strong>After a week of flooding rains in the Midwest, today we enjoy a break from the relentless rainfall. However, many remain under flood watches and warnings as rivers remain swollen.</p><div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2088604118151479464" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2088604118151479464"></div><p></p><p><strong>FLOOD THREAT</strong></p><p></p><p>Additional rainfall could increase the risk of flash flooding across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Appalachian region. As the front works through, some localized flooding will be possible overnight. <img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/OVERNSSSS-1787016460932.png"></p><h2>Overnight Severe Threat</h2><p>The Storm Prediction Center and National Weather Service have issued a severe thunderstorm watch through tonight across the Southern Appalachians. The SPC has us under a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) for severe storms through the overnight hours.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-17 193201-1787016747073.png"></p><p></p><p></p>

Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

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<div class="twitter-tweet" style="display: flex; justify-content: center" data-twitt-post-id="2087625672491721115" src="https://x.com/WeatherNation/status/2087625672491721115"></div><p>Get ready for one of the most spectacular displays of the cosmos visible on earth - a total solar eclipse! Totality will only cover a small portion of the globe, however, while many others will see a partial solar eclipse.<br><br>A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the sun and earth, casting a shadow on the Earth's surface. There's a small "hard shadow" where the total solar eclipse occurs, where the sun is completely obscured by the moon, leaving only the outer ring, or corona, of the sun visible. The larger "soft shadow" covers a larger portion of the globe, but only a section of the sun will be obscured. Even though both are eclipses, the experience in the path of totality is completely different than in the partial zone. Totality ushers in darkness and massive changes, including temperature drops, changes in animal behavior, and more. If you have the chance to see a total solar eclipse, it is highly recommended you take advantage of the opportunity.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-07 124538-1786128790332.png"></p><h1>Path of Totality</h1><p>People in parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and an incredibly small piece of Portugal, will be able to experience totality if skies are clear enough. The eclipse will begin in the arctic circle before dropping south to cruise over the North Atlantic and eventually western Europe.<br><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-07 124037-1786128740977.png"><br>Western Iceland, including Reykjavik, will get to experience totality for a about 60 seconds in the late afternoon on Wednesday, August 12th. This will occur around 5:45 - 5:50 GMT from north to south.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-07 13-00-09-1786129629600.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><p>Some lucky folks in Spain will have nearly two minutes of totality (toward the middle of the path), while folks closer to the outside of the path will only get about 20-30 seconds of magic. The sun will be approaching the western horizon, or sunset, as totality occurs, making for a truly incredible sight. Totality begins on the northern coast around 8:26 pm local time (CEST) and will end as it moves south of Mallorca in the Mediterranean around 8:33 pm.</p><video src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/2026-08-07 13-00-28-1786129642319.mp4" controls="true" width="100%"></video><h1>Partial Solar Eclipse</h1><p>In the United States, only a partial eclipse will be visible and only for a portion of the country. A partial eclipse will be visible in the early afternoon, peaking around 2:00 pm ET, from portions of Montana to eastern North Carolina. Only a small sliver of the sun will be obscured for many, with about a fifth of the sun obscured in northern New England, mostly in Maine. All of Alaska (expect the far western Aleutians) will experience a partial solar eclipse as well. Southern Alaska will see a quarter of the sun obscured, peaking around 8:15 - 8:30 am Alaskan Daylight Time, while northern Alaska will see about half of the sun covered by the moon.</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-07 124624-1786128804207.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-07 124629-1786131371992.png"><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-08 103029-1786206678322.png"></p><h1>Next Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S.</h1><p>A total solar eclipse will cover portions of the United States in 2044, mostly moving through Canada, but parts of western North Dakota and Montana will get a view. In 2045, a large section of the United States will be able to experience a total solar eclipse. The path of totality runs from Northern California through Salt Lake City and Denver, before moving across the South from Little Rock to Miami, FL. It's never too early to make plans...</p><p><img src="https://media.weathernationtv.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Screenshot 2026-08-07 124638-1786131683080.png"></p><h2><strong>NASA's Research:</strong></h2><p>Through this eclipse, NASA will have multiple scientific experiments on-going related to the eclipse to help us better understand these celestial events. We spoke with NASA to learn more.</p><div data-youtube-video=""><iframe width="640" height="480" allowfullscreen="false" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EyvkXNZBrYk" start="0"></iframe></div>

Hawaii Cleaning Up after Lala Grazed the Islands

Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

What to Know About the Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th

Stifling Heat Holds Steady for Southern U.S.

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Hawaii Cleaning Up after Lala Grazed the Islands

Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

What to Know About the Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th

Stifling Heat Holds Steady for Southern U.S.

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Hawaii Cleaning Up after Lala Grazed the Islands

Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

What to Know About the Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th