All-time hottest weather records are set all over the world
No single record, in isolation, can be attributed to global warming
From the normally mild summer climes of Ireland, Scotland and Canada to the scorching Middle East, numerous locations in the Northern Hemisphere have witnessed their hottest weather ever recorded over the past week.
Large areas of heat pressure or heat domes scattered around the hemisphere led to the sweltering temperatures.
No single record, in isolation, can be attributed to global warming. But collectively, these heat records are consistent with the kind of extremes we expect to see increase in a warming world.
Let’s take a tour around the world of the recent hot-weather milestones.
North America
A massive and intense heat dome has consumed the eastern two-thirds of the United States and southeast Canada since late last week. It’s not only been hot but also exceptionally humid. Here are some of the notable all-time records set:
— Denver tied its all-time high-temperature record of 105 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday.
— Mount Washington, New Hampshire, tied its all-time warmest low temperature of 60F yesterday.
— Montreal recorded its highest temperature in recorded history, dating back 147 years, of 97.9F yesterday.
Europe
Excessive heat torched the British Isles late last week. The stifling heat caused roads and roofs to buckle, the Weather Channel reported, and resulted in multiple record highs:
— Scotland provisionally set its hottest temperature on record. The UK. Met Office reported Motherwell, about 12 miles southeast of Glasgow, hit 91.8F yesterday, passing the previous record set in August 2003 at Greycrook. Additionally, Glasgow had its hottest day on record, hitting 89.4F.
Eurasia
A large dome of high pressure, or heat dome, has persistently sat on top of Eurasia over the past week, resulting in some extraordinarily hot weather:
— In Tbilisi, Georgia, on Wednesday, the capital city soared to 104.9F, its all-time record.
Middle East
Quriyat, Oman, posted the world’s hottest low temperature ever recorded on June 28: 109F (42.6C). These various records add to a growing list of heat milestones set over the past 15 months that are part and parcel of a planet that is trending hotter.