Gloucester

Over the past few months, the Mass Department of Public Health, working with the Department of Recreation and Conservation, has deemed dozens of water locations throughout the state closed due to high bacteria levels.

Some beaches in the northeastern United States are dealing with more than the threat of COVID-19 this holiday weekend. They have to contend with an unwelcome visitor: the Lion's Mane jellyfish.

Visitors to the waterfront near the New England Aquarium around 12:30 p.m. had to dodge waves slamming over docks and maneuver around water pooling on walkways. Experts say the scene will probably be replayed in the future as sea levels rise.

The state's Department of Environmental Services and Fish and Game announced effective Friday, Aug. 9 the ban on harvest of shellfish due to “red tide” is lifted for all species of shellfish except surf clams.The harvest closure went into effect May 9 for the Atlantic Ocean and Hampton/Seabrook Harbor in response to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, commonly known as red tide, detected in blue mussels collected from Hampton/Seabrook

Trees and wires came down early Monday morning as rain poured down and wind whipped across Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said.

The temperature in Boston rose to 63 degrees on Friday, breaking the previous record for the day of 62, which was set in 1957.

Scientists have narrowed down the top likely causes of more than 1,400 seal deaths across New England.

The Division of Marine Fisheries is analyzing the clams and expects to have preliminary results in the coming days that might point to a cause.

Deaths of gray and harbor seals, in much greater numbers than usual, have been attributed to viruses related to distemper and the flu.

The temperature at Logan International Airport rose to 97 degrees shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, topping a record set in 1953.

The powerful winter weather storm was slamming into Massachusetts by mid-morning Thursday, bringing blizzard-like conditions in some areas, torrential rain in others, power outages and hurricane-strength winds on Cape Cod and the Islands.

Parts of 10 states and some major population centers — including Philadelphia, New York and Boston — were pummeled by the storm.