This Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 image provided by NASA shows a view of Hurricane Dorian from the International Space Station as it churned over the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Dorian is strengthening as it moves west toward the Bahamas and Florida. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says maximum sustained winds increased Saturday, Aug. 31 morning to 145 mph (230 kph), up from 140 mph (220 kph). (NASA via AP) 

Dorian closes in on Bahamas as dangerous Category 5 storm

Large waves and heavy winds pounded the northern Bahamas on Sunday as Hurricane Dorian barreled toward the islands as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds while authorities made a last-minute plea for those in low-lying areas to evacuate before it’s too late. 






 Wildfires consume an area near Porto Velho, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Brazilian state experts have reported a record of nearly 77,000 wildfires across the country so far this year, up 85% over the same period in 2018. Brazil contains about 60% of the Amazon rainforest, whose degradation could have severe consequences for global climate and rainfall. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano) 
NEWS

AP Explains: The causes and risks of the Amazon fires

 RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Fires have been breaking out at an unusual pace in Brazil this year, causing global alarm over deforestation in the Amazon region. The world’s largest rainforest is often called the “lungs of the earth.” Here’s a look at what’s happening: