Environment & Science

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe and several other eastern Pennsylvania counties.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Mayors in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are coming together to fight against worsening climate change and strengthen sustainability across the region. Two of the three cities have their own climate action plans.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, in the Lehigh Valley.

The first new building on Muhlenberg’s campus in more than a decade, the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., opened in January. The 20,000-square-foot, three-floor building cost $13.2 million and is one of the first buildings in the world expected to achieve a rigorous sustainability certification for buildings that give more than they take.

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible in the region on Saturday, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service.

Puerto Rico's electrical grid has been devastated by hurricanes due to worsening climate change. Ruth Santiago, a Bethlehem native, has a solution.

Swarms of non-biting midge flies last week were spotted in Bethlehem. LehighValleyNews.com spoke with Marten Edwards, chair of Muhlenberg College's biology department, to find out more about the insects.

For the first time, the Lehigh River was included on American Rivers' list of most endangered rivers in the country. Environmentalists point to a proliferation of warehouses and distribution centers for putting the river at risk.

DeSales University in Upper Saucon Township sent out a message saying it will reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday, but then reversed course and said the campus would remain closed due to the ongoing power outages.

The Lehigh Valley has posted nearly a month's worth of rain in the last three days, and well over eight inches since the beginning of March.

The school district informed the community it will dismiss all students early “out of an abundance of caution” ahead of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

A lab dedicated to the treatment of hematologic cancers is now open in Allentown. A generous donation helped the cellular therapy lab come into fruition at HNL Lab Medicine.

As severe weather rakes the East Coast, the National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for the Lehigh Valley effective Wednesday afternoon. A nor'easter is also expected as a secondary low redevelops off the coast.

Monday's solar eclipse will not turn the skies in the Lehigh Valley pitch black, Moravian University astronomy professor Gary A. Becker said. Just a bit wonky. The ideal time in the Lehigh Valley to view the eclipse is 3:24 p.m.

Crews are set to get to work this year on a project to restore Bogert's Bridge after years of fundraising and design work.

The National Weather Service issued the flood watch starting from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday as the region undergoes several days of rain.

Township Manager Doug Bruce said the plans set forth in the Lehigh Valley Priority Climate Action Plan for Transportation Decarbonization will “set a precedent for other regions to follow.”

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting consumers of scammers selling sunglasses to view the eclipse on April 8 that do not protect one's eyes from potentially permanent damage.

The Lehigh Valley is not only looking at a cold, damp and dreary start to the week, there's rain in the forecast through Thursday. Elevated parts of the region could even see some snow Wednesday into Thursday.

The Devil's Comet, which orbits the sun once every 71 years, will swing through our spatial backyard later in April.