While we in Vermont have been seemingly constantly underwater in floods, and wilting in very warm temperatures and horrible humidity while we do so, the rest of the world seems to be panting its way to unprecedented warmth.
June was the world's hottest on record.
Meanwhile, brutal heat waves are baking large areas all around the world this month, including a long, record heat wave torturing most the United States South and West.
Let's start with the worldwide June data.
WORLDWIDE JUNE SWOON
June for the world as a whole was easily the warmest on record according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. It appears the arrival of El Nino in recent months, combined with climate change, is having the expected effect of really boosting global temperatures.
The warmest areas relative to average were Canada once again - they've been oddly warm for months. Also, southwestern Europe, southeastern Africa, Central America, much of the Indian Ocean and the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
The planetary ocean heat seems to be continuing, as oceans were the hottest on record for June. The Atlantic Ocean continues to over-perform. And lately, the waters around Florida have been extremely hot - mostly in the mid-90s, with one report of 98 degrees.
If you're looking for sone shred of positive news through all this, Greenland was one of the few places on Earth that were actually a little cooler than normal in June. That limited some of the dreaded melt from that island's huge ice cap.
The only other small pockets of comparatively cool weather on Earth in June were in the southeastern United States, parts of eastern Europe, western Australia and a patch of ocean north of Antarctica and southwest of South America.
As I note each month, if you're 44 years old or younger, you've never seen a colder than average global month in your liftetime.
UNITED STATES HEAT
Extreme heat has been spreading across the South and West over the past several days and seems to be peaking this weekend.
Heat advisories and warnings stretch from southern Florida, across much of the South and on up the western United States to Washington State.
Death Valley, California was expecting a high temperture of 128 degrees Sunday, perilously close to the reliable world record of 130 degrees. (Some sources give the world record at 134 or 136 degrees, but those were not reliable measurements, and were probably from thermometers not placed correctly).
Las Vegas has a shot at reaching 117 degrees, which would tie its all-time record for hottest temperatures.
In some areas, the heat has been horribly, scarily persistent, which makes things all that much worse.
As of Saturday, El Paso, Texas had experienced its 30th consecutive day with temperatures at or above 100 degrees. The old record for consecutive days there as a mere 21 days. Highs in El Paso are expected to top 100 degrees daily through at least next Saturday.
Phoenix, Arizona appears destined to break its record of 18 consecutive days at 110 degrees or higher. It's been that hot for 15 consecutive days as of Saturday. by this Wednesday. The forecast in Phoenix calls for daily highs at or above 112 degrees through next Saturday.
So far this summer, heat has killed 12 people in Phoenix, NPR reported.
Miami was under its first-ever excessive heat warning on Sunday. Yes, it's always hot and humid there in the summer, but this is out of hand, even for them. It'll "only" be in the mid-90s there today, but th humidity is extreme, so the heat index is likely to be in the 110-115 range,
Those record hot water temperatures around the Florida peninsula are contributing to the excessive humidity. Miami has seen a record 36 days in a row in which the heat index has been at or above 100 degrees, says the Washington Post.
OTHER NOTABLE HEAT WAVES
China reported had its hottest temperature on record, reaching 126 degrees in Sanbao. It's also the hottest it's ever been in the world north of 40 degrees latitude
Speaking of northern heat waves, it reached 100 degrees in the Northwest Territories in Canada on July 8. That's the warmest on record for the world north of 65 degrees latitude. You can see why parts of Canada continue to be in flames.
Much of Europe is roasting, too. Sardinia could reach 117 degrees, which would be the hottest temperature on record for anywhere in Europe. Rome could go past 105 degrees, breaking their all time record high.
I fully expect more record highs scattered across the world through the rest of this month and well into August. The combination of climate change and El Nino is relentless.
Here in Vermont, we continue to slog through warmth and humidity, along with our seemingly ever-present flood threat. Although it will remain quite warm and stuffy, I don't see any signs of record heat over the next week or two.
There's your small glimmer of hope for the day.
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