An increase in cicada activity continues to rise with swarms even potentially showing up on weather radars.
The increase in temperatures could be a factor. The chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), Dr. Jim Fredericks, recently talked with AccuWeather. He told them, “As daytime temperatures continue to rise, we should see an increase in adult cicada activity.”
The 17-year-old “Brood X” cicadas are rising in such great numbers that meteorologists believe they are being picked up by Virginia weather radars.
“You may have noticed a lot of fuzziness (low reflectivity values) on our radar recently,” a tweet from NWS Baltimore-Washington stated. “The Hydrometeor Classification algorithm shows much of it to be Biological in nature. Our guess? Its probably the #cicadas.”
NBC and WTOP broadcast meteorologist Lauryn Ricketts also believes the radar was picking up cicadas.
Ricketts tweeted, “THIS is not rain, not ground clutter (the radar beam picking up objects close the radar site– which is in Loudoun County)…. the Hydrometer Classification algorithm identifies this as biological nature…so likely CICADAS being picked up by the radar beam…”
Cicadas are continuing to wreak havoc, even causing a car crash.
The Cincinnati Police Department tweeted pictures of a damaged car. The captioned the tweet, “#Crash single car into a pole at 2600 Riverside Drive. Caused by a cicada that flew in through an open indoor striking the driver in the face. #nothinggoodhappenswithcicadas #cicadas2021”
Dr. Jim Fredericks, told AccuWeather that he believes most Brood X cicada activity will wrap up by July. However, if you live more north you might hear the insects until late August.