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Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches have been issued along the coast of North Carolina.

Those planning to go to Atlantic beaches through Labor Day weekend, should check with their local Weather Forecast Office. Swells from Hurricane Earl are moving along the East Coast from South Carolina to New England producing a strong south to north long shore current (Littoral Current). Wind and wave conditions support stronger or more frequent rip currents.

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature made this July the second warmest on record, behind 1998, and the warmest averaged January-July on record.

Get all the latest information on environmental hazards with NOAAWatch.

Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect from the Southern/Central Plains through the Lower Mississippi/Tennessee River Valleys. Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States, causing more fatalities per year than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

The National Weather Service (NWS) draft Strategic Plan is ready for public comment. The plan provides the strategic framework that will guide the NWS over the next ten years. With this plan the NWS will meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. We will continue to deliver today's mission while we expand to meet the growing needs of the country. The plan is linked to NOAA's Next Generation Strategic Plan and is the result of a collaborative endeavor among employees, NOAA and NWS management, and private sector, research and operations partners.

At 1100 AM EDT the center of newly formed Tropical Depression Three was located about 405 miles east-southeast of Key Largo Florida. Movement is toward the west-northwest near 15 MPH. The depression could become a tropical storm later today.

The U.S. Geollogical Survey reports a Magnitude 3.6 earthquake occured Friday morning at 05:04: AM with the epicenter 10 miles northwest of Rockville, Maryland or 15 miles east-northeast of Leesburg, Virginia, and 20 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Depression TWO, located east-southeast of Brownsville Texas.

The NWS is undertaking research on how satisfied you are with our products and services and would appreciate your feedback. The purpose of this research is to help the NWS improve its services. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and need not be finished all at once. We also encourage you to take a moment and complete one or more of the optional sections focused on Marine, Aviation, and Hazardous Weather.

At 600 PM EDT the center of newly formed Tropical Depression One was located about 355 miles southeast of Cozumel Mexico. Movement was toward the west-northwest near 10 MPH. On the forecast track, the Depression will reach the Yucatan Peninsula by late Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 MPH with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast and the Depression is expected to become A Tropical Storm tonight or Saturday.

At 1:41 PM EDT, the US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 5.5 earthquake with the epicenter 24 miles north of Cumberland, Ontario Canada. People have reported feeling the earthquake across New England and as far west as Wisconsin.

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Army Signal Corp, on June 21, 1860. The first federal weather service in the U.S. was formed as part of the Army Signal Corps in 1870 and later became the U.S. Weather Bureau (1891) and, eventually, the National Weather Service (1970).

Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather phenomena- lightning. But don't be fooled, lightning strikes year round. In the United States, an average of 58 people are killed each year by lightning. To date, there have been 8 lightning deaths in 2010.

The FCC needs to hear directly from all interested parties by June 28, 2010, regarding impacts of the proposed sharing of the 1675-1710 MHz frequency band with wireless broadband systems. This frequency band includes all of NOAA's direct GOES and POES satellite broadcast service spectrum including EMWIN, imagery and data.

In an effort to heighten public awareness of rip currents at surf beaches, each year NOAA designates the first full week of June as national Rip Current Awareness Week, coinciding with the traditional start of the summer vacation season.

The NOAA Climate Prediction Center has issued its monthly El Nino/Southern Oscillation discussion, which also includes a La Nina Watch. This indicates that La Nina--a cooling of Equatorial Pacific Ocean waters--is expected during the next three months. This could enhance the strength of the Atlantic hurricane season.

An "active to extremely active" hurricane season is expected for the Atlantic Basin this year according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service.

History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. Hurricane Preparedness Week during 2010 will be held May 23rd through May 29th.

History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster. Hurricane Preparedness Week during 2010 will be held May 23rd through May 29th.

NOAA's State of the Climate report shows the April 2010 average temperature for the contiguous United States was 54.3 degrees F, which is 2.3 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average (14th warmest April on record). April's average precipitation was 2.18 inches, 0.25 inch below the 1901-2000 average.

Tuesday's weather conditions prevented vessel skimming and in-situ burning operations. Sea conditions are expected to moderate over the course of the week and marine operations are expected to recommence. Also, NOAA Fisheries announced modifications to the area closed to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico due to the oil spill. More than 93 percent of the Gulf's federal waters remain open for fishing, and supporting productive fisheries and tourism.

NOAA's State of the Climate report shows the March 2010 average temperature for the entire contiguous United States was warmer-than-average with several New England states experiencing one of the warmest March's on record. Average precipitation for the U.S. was below normal, but heavy rainfall set March records in parts of the Northeast.

Fifty years ago today, the world's first weather satellite , known as TIROS-1 (Television Infrared Observation Satellite), lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida and opened a new and exciting dimension in weather forecasting.

This experiment is intended to explore methods to increase dissemination and availability of NWS information and to allow consolidation of several existing email dissemination systems and reduce duplication of effort within the agency.

Over 50 reports of severe weather were received over the weekend, mostly on Sunday across parts of the southeastern United States. Several injuries were reported in North Carolina. Severe weather is possible Monday across parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, far southern Virginia and across parts of southern Florida.

Tsunami Awareness Week Message from President Obama: "During this week, we pay tribute to those lost and recommit ourselves to preparing our shores and protecting our citizens."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program have designated March 21-27 as Tsunami Awareness Week. This designation comes in the wake of last month's tsunami in Chile and less than six months after a tsunami hit American Samoa, both events resulting in loss of life and property.

Major flooding has begun and is forecast to continue through spring in parts of the Midwest according to NOAA's National Weather Service. The South and East are also more susceptible to flooding as an El Nino influenced winter left the area soggier than usual.

As one of the snowiest winter seasons in many years yields to warmer weather and the promise of rain and snowmelt, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's FloodSmart Campaign and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they are again working together during Flood Safety Awareness Week (March 15-19) to raise awareness of the dangers associated with flooding and steps to protect against damage.