Today Is the Hottest Day Ever Recorded in France

golding76 · ‎05-19-2012

On Friday, France recorded the highest temperature ever experienced at any location in that country. The 44.3° C reading (about 111° F) at the town of Carpentras is an all-time record, but it’s just part of a massive heat wave that has been baking much of Europe. The heat wave has closed schools and businesses unequipped to deal with such temperatures. It’s sparked record wildfires in Spain and led to water-rationing across several nations.

The five hottest European summers in the last 600 years have all come in the last twenty years. And 2019 is looking like it may provide not just the hottest day, but the hottest week, month, and year as the radically destabilized weather system continues to draw scalding air farther and farther north. Germany is experiencing it’s hottest June ever. Temperatures in Italy have turned deadly. And records have been shattered across at least six nations. The wave of hot air is also bringing up dust from the Sahara, prompting health warnings because of both temperatures and air quality.

And it’s not just Europe. The United States is also looking at record temperatures for June. Heat has spread across every region of the country, bringing triple-digit temperatures from the Southwest to the East Coast. The record heat follows record flooding. Record fires. Record storms.

And all of it is part of the climate crisis. All of it is coming because the Earth is now saddled with a level of carbon in the atmosphere that hasn’t been seen in the whole time that human beings have existed as a species. This is a whole new world—one that is distinctly inimical to the lives and civilization we have constructed.

Witchy Woman · ‎03-15-2010

@golding76

I heard this early today when watching international news. It is frightening.

Was sitting here thinking how much I HATE the extreme heat. I'm in Southern Maryland and we've had a string of over 90 degree temps and very high humidity.

It is miserable.

I was thinking I'd love to move to a location that didn't have summer, or at least didn't have such extreme temps.

I'm not sure that place exists anymore.

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

We have only 60 days until Sept. I always hate this time of the year the most

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Don't be alarmed. Air temperature recording (accurate recording) only goes back to about 1880. And of course we don't expect in that very very short time (earth time) that the highest temperatures ever have been recorded do we?

Climate shifts are well documented in the earth and will continue. The problem is you can't really say what is happening until you look back and put it in perspective. In the US many of us are having oddly cool temps!

Witchy Woman · ‎03-15-2010

@cherry

I agree. Other than my childhood years, I've hated hot weather. While I don't mind temps in the 80s, once it gets above that, my energy is zapped. And, of course, the humidity in this area is legendary! Cannot imagine living any further south. Must be like a steam bath!

Not to mention the insects that come with summer. I'm sitting here with a red welt on my arm the size of an orange. A day or so ago, I had several small bites in that area, and now, it looks terrible and is hot and itchy. I'm keeping an eye on it for sure.

And, I've been stung and had tick bites in the last two weeks! Honestly, I'm like a magnet for these things.

Finally, my naturally curly hair looks like something might be nesting in it. I'm trying to resist getting it straightened this summer (letting my curls come back), but when I look in the mirror it scares me

Did I say I hate summer?

Mombo1 · ‎11-02-2015

@cherry wrote:
We have only 60 days until Sept. I always hate this time of the year the most

Sixty days 🤗. Thank you! That is encouraging. I dread summer and find myself hibernating someplace cool as much as possible.

IamMrsG · ‎08-29-2010

It strikes me as odd that 90º at the end of June is considered "extreme."

Strive for respect instead of attention. It lasts longer.

Mombo1 · ‎11-02-2015

@Witchy Woman wrote:
@cherry

I agree. Other than my childhood years, I've hated hot weather. While I don't mind temps in the 80s, once it gets above that, my energy is zapped. And, of course, the humidity in this area is legendary! Cannot imagine living any further south. Must be like a steam bath!

Not to mention the insects that come with summer. I'm sitting here with a red welt on my arm the size of an orange. A day or so ago, I had several small bites in that area, and now, it looks terrible and is hot and itchy. I'm keeping an eye on it for sure.

And, I've been stung and had tick bites in the last two weeks! Honestly, I'm like a magnet for these things.

Finally, my naturally curly hair looks like something might be nesting in it. I'm trying to resist getting it straightened this summer (letting my curls come back), but when I look in the mirror it scares me

Did I say I hate summer?