Jeff Masters at Weather Underground reports:
“A heat wave of unprecedented intensity has brought the world’s largest country its hottest temperature in history. On July 11, the ongoing Russian heat wave sent the mercury to 44.0°C (111.2°F) in Yashkul, Kalmykia Republic, in the European portion of Russia near the Kazakhstan border. The previous hottest temperature in Russia (not including the former Soviet republics) was the 43.8°C (110.8°F) reading measured at Alexander Gaj, Kalmykia Republic, on August 6, 1940. The remarkable heat in Russia this year has not been limited just to the European portion of the country–the Asian portion of Russia also recorded its hottest temperature in history this year, a 42.3°C (108.1°F) reading at Belogorsk,near the Amur River border with China. The previous record for the Asian portion of Russia was 41.7°C (107.1°F) at nearby Aksha on July 21, 2004.
Moscow is suffering badly and is “on track to set the record for its warmest July in history,” Masters writes. And there’s no let up in sight, with the Wunderground.com forecast for Moscow showing high temperatures up to 100 degrees F for the next week. I’ve never been to Moscow, but I doubt that air conditioning is very common there.
The extraordinary heat wave has not been limited to Russia:
. . . six nations in Asia and Africa set new all-time hottest temperature marks in June. Two nations, Myanmar and Pakistan, set all-time hottest temperature marks in May, including Asia’s hottest temperature ever, the astonishing 53.5°C (128.3°F) mark set on May 26 in Pakistan. Last week’s record in Russia makes nine countries this year that have recorded their hottest temperature in history, making 2010 the year with the most national extreme heat records.”
One hundred and twenty eight degrees. Astonishing.
Meanwhile, here in the United States it’s plenty hot in many places too. Click on the image below for more details:
Recent Comments