Texas News in Brief
Possibility for Severe Weather Forecast Around Concho Valley
May is one of the main months for severe weather in Texas and this year looks like no exception.
Severe storms in Texas at the end of last week gave way to massive hail storms in New Mexico and the Panhandle on Sunday, with hailstones of 1 to 1.25-inch size in the Albuqurque area and hail of almost 2 inches west of Artesia.
Severe storms on Monday led to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations at major airports around the state, which are expected to continue through Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop mid-morning at Dallas-Fort Worth International, Dallas Love Field and Austin-Bergstrom International airports due to heavy rainfall, according to reporting from the Austin American-Statesman.
According to the National Weather Service, there will be some potential for large hail, isolated tornadoes and flash flooding across North and Central Texas this afternoon and evening.
Oil Drops Sharply on OPEC+ Production News
According to reports from CNBC and other business outlets, US crude-oil futures fell by more than 2 percent in trading on Monday following the announcement that the OPEC+ oil cartel agreed to a second month of production boosts.
According to wire reports, the eight-nation group agreed to a plan to increase output by more than 400,000 barrels-per-day during talks on Saturday.
Domestic crude-oil futures were trading lower Monday with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovering around the $55 mark in early afternoon trading, and the global benchmark, Brent North Sea oil off by 2.37 percent trading at $59.84 in earlier action.
According to industry analysts, overall, oil prices have fallen about 20 percent so far this year, after oil prices in April posted the biggest monthly loss since 2021, on the heels of President Trump’s tariff announcements.
According to a recent report by oilfield-service firm Baker Hughes, the rig count measuring active drilling projects showed a decline in West Texas last week, and many experts are expecting exploration and production to decline further this year.
Governor Signs Voucher Bill in Saturday Ceremony
Gov. Greg Abbott signed his flagship school-choice bill into law during a ceremony at the governor’s mansion in Austin on Saturday.
Abbott told attendees he promised to bring “education freedom to every Texas family” when he ran for re-election.
“Today, Texas delivers on that promise. I am signing this law that will ensure Texas families, whose children can no longer be served by the public school assigned to them, have the choice to take their money and find the school that is right for them,” he said.
“Today is a historic day,” he added.
— From news reports
