“According to measurements taken by the National Weather Service here, July 2018 was the warmest month ever recorded in Juneau, Alaska. Instruments at Juneau International Airport, the city’s official measuring point, recorded an average July temperature of 61.2 degrees, making it the warmest July recorded in a record that dates back to 1936.
“The previous record was 60.2 degrees, set in 1951. Three of the top five hottest Julys have come since 2009. A normal July averages 56.9 degrees…
“According to the weather service measurements, July’s warmth wasn’t the result of a handful of warm days: It was the result of consistently high temperatures throughout the month.
“There were 18 days with high temperatures above 70 degrees, and of those, four were above 80 degrees.”
“The heat wave that gripped the province has subsided, leaving behind records for both heat and dryness. Armel Castellan, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says it was quite exceptional to have the hot and dry weather last so long.”
“Southern Alberta farmers will be praying for thunderstorms to get their crops through this dry season, as they contend with a serious moisture deficit that stems back to last summer. “There just isn’t that soil moisture to carry the crops, ideally, through until that next rainfall event,” said Ralph Wright, head of agro-meteorological applications and modelling with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.”
“Parts of Grenada were awash with torrential floodwaters after heavy rains swept over the island earlier this week… The Antigua Meteorological Service said the Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada received close to six inches of rainfall in 12 hours…”
“Norwegian authorities have urged motorists to watch out for reindeer that are seeking refuge in tunnels to cool themselves amid extreme heat in the nation’s far north. “It has been very hot for weeks in northern Norway,” Tore Lysberg, a senior official at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, told AFP on Thursday.”
“It’s official and hardly comes as a surprise: July 2018 was [Norway’s] warmest on record. The year so far also boasts the highest number of so-called tropenetter, with 40 nights when the temperature did not fall below 20C (69F) in certain areas.”
“Sweden’s highest peak, a glacier on the southern tip of the Kebnekaise mountain, is melting due to record hot Arctic temperatures and is no longer the nation’s tallest point, scientists said on Wednesday. “I’ve never seen this much melted snow on the southern peak as I did this summer,” said Gunhild Rosqvist, a Stockholm University geography professor.”
“RNLI lifeguards at Crantock, Newquay, recorded a sea temperature that was higher than the air temperature – something that was no doubt replicated around our coastline. Sea temperatures are heading towards and in some cases above record levels on the coast off Cornwall after weeks of hot, dry weather.”
“Brown is the color of summer in northern Europe this year. Fields that are usually covered in lush green grass have now turned to dust, trees are shedding their leaves and animals eating dry hay or grain instead of grazing in pastures. Farmers in around a dozen countries — from Ireland to the Baltics — are grappling with a once-in-a-generation drought. The unrelenting heat wave has devastated crops, with more than half of the harvest expected to be lost in some areas.”
“The flag had been deployed on the Säntis mountain in the Alpstein massif in northeastern Switzerland as part of the Swiss National Day celebrations… The largest Swiss flag in the world, however, didn’t last longer than 24 hours before a tear developed down its left flank… The brief, intense spells of rain did little however to alleviate Switzerland’s chronically dry summer.”
“The highest temperature on record in Portugal was 47.3 celsius in 2003, in the southern Alentejo region. Several places in the Alentejo are forecast to reach 47 celsius on Saturday, while Lisbon could reach 43 celsius, which is highly unusual for Portugal’s capital by the sea.”
“Eight places in the center, south and east of Portugal have [already] broken their local temperature records amid a heatwave, the country’s weather agency says. The highest temperature recorded Thursday was 45.2 degrees Celsius (113.4 Fahrenheit) near Abrantes, a town 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of the capital, Lisbon, the IPMA said. Temperatures in Portugal were forecast to keep building nationwide on Friday, to around 45 degrees, and to peak at 47 degrees in some places on Saturday.”
“Hottest July on record for Port Elizabeth… This was the hottest ever July on record for PE. The average maximum temperature came in at a balmy 22.8C, smashing the previous record for the month. South African Weather Service spokesman in Port Elizabeth, Garth Sampson, told Herald Live that the combined average temperatures of June and July 2018 – a record in its own right – means the city is heading for its warmest ever winter.”
“North Korea on Thursday called for an “all-out battle” against record temperatures that threaten crops in a country already grappling with tough international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. The resulting drought has brought an “unprecedented natural disaster”, the isolated nation said, warning against crop damage that could savage its farm-reliant economy, battered by sanctions despite recent diplomatic overtures.”
“As many as 29 people have died due to heatstroke in South Korea, according to the South Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Disease Control. The country is undergoing an extended heatwave, with at least 15 days of temperatures over 35˚C (95˚F) recorded, the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) reported.”
“Parts of eastern Australia are suffering their worst drought in living memory as a lack of rainfall in winter hits farms badly. Reuters photographer David Gray captured the view of the dried earth from the air, finding an often surprising collage of colours.”
“Observations from across the globe show that as temperatures have warmed, bacteria and fungi in the soil are becoming more active. These turbo-charged microbes are feeding on dead leaves and plants, releasing more heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the air, according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Nature.”
Deadines loom for this unfortunate drone, so just the one article today; pertinent though:
2017 shattered various climate records, including the highest global temperature for a non-El Niño year, lowest Arctic sea ice extent, highest sea levels as well as greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, according to the American Meteorological Society’s 2017 State of the Climate report released on Aug. 1, 2018.”
“The destruction adds to California’s worst wildfire year on record — dozens dead … denominator connects the disastrous fires: California is facing extreme heat…”
“At the moment, drought and fire are ravaging much of the planet… And the turbulent weather could continue, as NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there is a 70 per cent chance of another El Nino occurring this winter.”
“The Arctic Circle — the realm of polar bears and dwindling sea ice at the top of the world — hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 32 degrees Celsius, this week.
“This was the temperature in Banak, Norway on July 30, though some Norwegian areas even reached a couple degrees warmer, according to the European meteorology site severe-weather.eu. Banak sits atop northern Europe, over 350 miles above the bottom edge of the Arctic Circle.”
“July will go down in German weather history as one of the hottest since measurements began. And the month’s final 24 hours have smashed the year’s temperature record… Early August is not set to bring relief from the blistering heat.”
“Rivers like the Rhine and the Elbe have soaked up so much heat that fish are beginning to suffocate. “I’m expecting a tragedy as soon as next week,” Philipp Sicher from the Swiss Fishery Association told German news agency dpa.”
“Sydney and large regions of eastern Australia posted their hottest July on record and there’s little sign the long-running above-average temperatures are about to recede.”
“The average temperature in eastern Japan was the highest for the month since 1946, when observations began. It was 2.8 degrees higher than usual. Western Japan had its second-hottest July ever, up 1.6 degrees over normal.”
“War, corruption, and poverty have plagued Afghanistan for generations. These have generally led to a myriad of exacerbating issues like a lack of healthcare infrastructure, education, and political unification. Now another devastating obstacle has struck the country: the worst drought in decades.”
“Another day, another extreme weather event disrupting life on our planet.
“Torrential rains associated with Myanmar’s monsoon season have wrought havoc. Floods have killed at least 11 people and forced the evacuation of more than 119,000 throughout the country on Monday, reports Reuters. Three of the deceased include soldiers who were helping with relief efforts. Another three civilians drowned in the state of Mon on the southern coast.
“At the Zaung Tu Dam, 7.79 inches of rain fell on Wednesday last week, setting a new daily record.”
“[Thai] provinces along the Mekong River are keeping a close watch, as the water levels in the international waterway are increasingly worrying. Authorities in many northern and northeastern provinces are closely monitoring the rising water levels in the Mekong after heavy rains hit large parts of the country and caused flooding in many residential and agricultural areas.”
“Some commuters on a flood-stricken road in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani city [India] had a narrow escape yesterday. A footage now going viral shows how four men managed to scurry out of a car just in time to miss a free ride to disaster town.”
“As a persistent heat wave sweeps across China, 22 counties and cities in the southwest and northeast regions of the country have experienced their hottest July on record…”
“The extreme heat wave gripping the Korean Peninsula is forecast to reach its highest temperature in the coming days… on Tuesday, the figure is likely rise to 39 deg C on Wednesday, the highest temperature in the city since the government started compiling the data in 1907, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).”
“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told related ministers on Monday to maintain vigilance against floods and landslides from Typhoon Jongdari, which took an unusual westbound course to hit central to western Japan over the weekend.”
““I spent four days fishing — not with a fishing line, but with a excavator to remove hundreds of dead sheep and roos that are stuck in drying dams… “Australia should be ashamed. We worry about 2 per cent of sheep dying on boats going overseas because you’ve seen a video of it, but what about the 90 per cent dying in the paddock?””
“California has experienced six of its most destructive wildfires in just 10 months. The fires have charred more than 10,000 structures and claimed dozens of lives.”
“Canton Valais in western Switzerland and the southern side of the Alps have now seen the hottest July since records began, according to MeteoSwiss, the Swiss meteorological office.”
“Portugal said Monday it has mobilised more than 10,000 people and boosted control operations in fire-prone areas of the country ahead of a major heatwave to avoid a repeat of last year’s deadly wildfires… In June 2017, 64 people were killed in the deadliest wildfires in Portugal’s history.”
“Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras has visited the site of deadly wildfires outside Athens as criticism mounts over his government’s response to the disaster. At least 91 people have died in what has become Europe’s deadliest forest fire in more than a century, officials in the country said.”
“…the wheat market is poised to tighten sharply as Russia, Australia and EU countries contend with scorching temperatures. In Australia, the state of New South Wales has announced a A$500m aid package for struggling farmers, while Germany’s farming association has called for €1bn in financial assistance from federal and state authorities.
“In response, the Euronext milling wheat benchmark is at a four-year high of €203 a tonne as analysts downgrade output estimates for EU wheat.
“Europe’s wheat production is forecast to fall below 130m tonnes for the first time in six years, according to Strategie Grains… The consultancy sees further downgrades in the near future.
“Output for Ukraine has also been hit by the poorer harvests, while leading producer Russia is expected to see a sharp fall in production… Amy Reynolds, senior economist at IGC, noted there was a question mark over North America output as well due to a lack of precipitation in some parts..
“The falling production comes as some agricultural experts have warned that the depressing effect of trade tension on key food commodities has obscured the risks of a sharp spike in prices.”
“At least 118 historical temperature records were reported around the world in July. This is stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, reports Voice of America.”
“According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2018 is on pace to be the fourth hottest year on record. Only three other years have been hotter: 2015, 2016 and 2017. “The impacts of climate change are no longer subtle,” Michael Mann, a climate scientist and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, told CNN.”
“Images of a group of Swedes turning the inconvenience of flooding in central Uppsala into an opportunity to relax have gone viral, after they were photographed swimming through the central rail station’s underpass with inflatables and water pistols.”
“Farmers are to meet with Whitehall officials this week for an emergency drought summit amid fears that the heatwave could have a serious impact on the UK’s food supply.”
“After enjoying a weekend of respite from the sweltering sun, France is set for a new heatwave this week, with forecasters predicting temperatures will rise to a whopping 40C in the south.”
“Withered sunflowers, scorched wheat fields, stunted cornstalks—the farmlands of northern Germany have borne the brunt of this year’s extreme heat and record-low rainfall, triggering an epochal drought.”
“As southern Iraq suffers through a punishing drought, desperate cattle breeders are having to sell off animals to keep others alive. Sattar, 52, has already seen some of his buffalo die of thirst.”
“As many as 537 lives have been claimed by floods and rain, this monsoon season, in six Indian states… Assam alone has seen 200,000 people displaced to relief camps.”
“Incessant rains in India’s Bihar state have opened the floodgates of misery for thousands of villagers — and the capital Patna is no exception. On Sunday, rain water mixed with storm drain water entered the state-run Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna and later flooded the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital as well. Small fish could be seen swimming around as used bandages and syringes floated on the water in the flooded ICU.”
“At least five people have been killed and over 95,000 people have been forced to flee their homes by widespread flooding in seven states and regions [of Myanmar] during the past week, the Disaster Management Department said.”
“Typhoon Jongdari continues to threaten Japan’s southwest with extremely heavy rain and potential landslides as the storm is expected to tarry in the area around Yakushima Island just south of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has said… The typhoon has already injured at least 24 people in Japan after making landfall in Mie Prefecture early on July 29.”
“Over 12 people are reported missing as wildfires continue to engulf northern California. The fires have been fed by high temperatures and low humidity – conditions that are expected to continue for at least another week. Two firefighters have been killed, hundreds of buildings destroyed and thousands of people forced to flee their homes.”
“On the heels of the deadly wildfires that killed at least 82 people, flash flooding struck the northern suburbs of the Greek capital of Athens on Thursday…
“While the rainfall is needed to quell the fire danger and douse any remaining wildfires, an overwhelming amount of rain triggered flash flooding in the northern suburbs of Athens.”
“Due to the continuing drought and heat, this year’s potato harvest in Germany and the rest of Europe will be worse than last year, both in quality and quantity.”
“Thursday night was the warmest ever recorded in the Netherlands, with the temperature dropping no lower than 23.6 degrees at the Bilt weather station near Hilversum. The old record dates from 2004 when it was no cooler than 20.8 degrees.”
“A few disgruntled (not to mention boiling) commuters in Paris have recorded the temperatures on the city’s much-maligned RER B line during the ongoing heatwave… and their findings certainly make for some uncomfortable reading.”
“Sweden’s unprecedented drought and devastating wildfires are destroying vital grazing pastureland for indigenous Sami reindeer herders, whose livelihoods are already under attack from mining and logging as global warming changes the face of the Arctic.”
“”The heatwaves and extreme heat we are experiencing are consistent with what we expect as a result of climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions. “This is not a future scenario. It is happening now.””
“Vegetable prices are rising rapidly in Japan after a deadly heatwave saw highs of more than 40C. Record-breaking temperatures triggered a spike in the cost of some foods with increases of up to 65 per cent.”
“A team of scientists from the University of California, Irvine has found evidence of significant mass loss in East Antarctica’s Totten and Moscow University glaciers, which, if they fully collapsed, could add 5 meters (16.4 feet) to the global sea level.”
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“It’s never been hotter.
Deadines loom for this unfortunate drone, so just the one article today; pertinent though:
Death Valley experiences hottest month ever recorded on earth [just verified]: 
“Another day, another extreme weather event disrupting life on our planet.
“At least 118 historical temperature records were reported around the world in July. This is stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, reports Voice of America.”
“On the heels of the deadly wildfires that killed at least 82 people, flash flooding struck the northern suburbs of the Greek capital of Athens on Thursday…