“The latest data show July was the third hottest on record, more than 0.4°C warmer than average – almost on par with the last year. Temperatures were unusually high in many regions around the globe.
“After devastating Japanese floods early in July, parts of Asia, Northern Europe and the United States faced fierce heatwaves and lack of rain.
“The extreme weather conditions aggravated wildfires, hitting Sweden and California especially hard.
“Europe saw its second warmest July on record. Temperatures topped 30°C in the Arctic Circle. Historical highs were broken across the continent.”
www.euronews.com/2018/08/15/climate-update-warmest-july-on-record
“The heat has somewhat subsided in Europe this last week but it is still incredibly dry, even Ireland which is famously cold and wet, is suffering from the drought conditions, it didn’t rain at all in June and July.”
http://www.freshplaza.com/article/199362/Ireland-Effect-of-drought-will-be-felt-right-through-winter
Slovakia headed for hottest summer on record:
“Torrential rain and thunderstorms last night have flooded Khreshchatyk and a number of other streets in the Ukrainian capital, Informator.Kyiv has reported on Facebook.”
“Authorities in Niger on Wednesday said floods threatened the historic centre of the 15th-century city of Agadez after weeks of heavy rain… Floods have already killed 22 people nationwide, destroyed homes and gardens and decimated livestock.”
https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/fears-for-historic-city-of-agadez-as-flooding-continues-20180815
“Torrential rains continue to batter the southern Indian state of Kerala for the seventh day in a row, causing widespread flooding and landslides that have led to the deaths of at least 77 people. As water levels continue to rise, a red alert has been sounded across all districts in the state…”
http://time.com/5368797/kerala-india-flood-monsoon-rain-deaths/
“Many areas in Nepal have been inundated due to the swollen rivers following torrential rains from Tuesday.” Pictures:
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/15/c_137392831_2.htm
“The number of patients who went to emergency rooms with heat-related illnesses this summer had reached 4,148 as of Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. This is nearly double the previous record of 2,125 in 2016.”
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2018/08/16/2018081601700.html
“High temperatures recorded over an extended period this summer have apparently caused insects, such as mosquitoes and beetles, to meet an untimely demise across [Japan].”
“Fire chiefs have warned that this year’s bush blazes could be among the worst ever if the New South Wales drought continues.”
“Miller said he knew something was odd when he spotted a school of bat rays — which typically only congregate in pockets of warm water — swimming just off the pier earlier this month. Changes in ocean circulation associated with warmer surface waters [as we are seeing with the record-breaking marine heatwave off California] will likely mean decreased production of phytoplankton — the tiny organisms that form the basis of the marine food web, he said.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/marine-heat-waves-wildlife-1.4786355
“In new images snapped by NASA’s high-flying Aqua satellite, huge concentrations of carbon monoxide can be seen drifting from the west to the east. The dangerous clouds of gas [from California’s fires] can last for weeks on end, and as winds push them across the country the threat of diminished air quality becomes more and more real.”
https://bgr.com/2018/08/15/wildfire-carbon-monoxide-spread-nasa-satellite-images/
“The weather map for Texas has been one big, angry block of orange, with temperatures regularly in the nineties and beyond in cities throughout the state. California is coming off its hottest July of all time. The recording station in Death Valley averaged 108.1 degrees for the month. Up here in Portland, we’re pushing toward 2015’s all-time record of 29 days over 90 degrees.”
https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/08/4b0586bacf2946/us-and-portland-setting-summer.html
“As wildfires continue to rage throughout eastern Washington, officials said on Tuesday that air quality in Seattle had gotten worse than that of Beijing.”
“British Columbia has found itself coping with another active wildfire season, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. This week, the province of B.C. declared a state of emergency due to the wildfires burning around the province. This state of emergency – the second to be declared in two years – will last 14 days.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/4390372/bc-wildfire-extreme-not-over-yet/
“Those with shopping plans south of the border this weekend may want to carefully consider travel routes as a state of emergency was declared in upstate New York. Heavy rain over several days has led to epic flooding and water rescues. Floods waters have hit several counties in New York and Pennsylvania, destroying numerous homes.”
“A major drought has ruined crops and left livestock dead in two southern provinces of Honduras causing famine and a government-declared state of emergency.”
