GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

JULY 2018

UNITED STATES

In the Northwest, record low temperatures were reported in some areas (3^rd). In Eugene, Oregon, a new record low July temperature of 38F was reported, the lowest since records began more than a century ago. Snow even fell in parts of Montana.

Parts of California have been suffering wildfires brought about by the record heat Downtown Los Angeles had its hottest July night in history, with a minimum of 26.1C on the 7^th (th-7^th). 'Red flag' warnings, indicating the risk of serious wildfires, remain in place for large parts of the state. In California, daytime records were also set last week at Chino (48.9C), Burbank airport (45.6C) and Van Nuys airport (47.2C). The temperature at University of California, Los Angeles, hit 43.9C, breaking a 79-year-old record Furnace Creek in Death Valley national park in California, USA, recorded a temperature of 52.0C on the 8th.

Drenching thunderstorms moved into the northeastern United States Tuesday afternoon and evening, resulting in numerous flash flooding reports throughout the region (17^th). In Washington, D.C., heavy rain prompted flooding on the George Washington Memorial Parkway near Reagan National Airport. The flooding left cars stranded during the evening rush hour. Several water rescues were reported on the parkway by the Arlington, Virginia, Fire Department. In total, 40 people were removed from 25 stranded vehicles, according to the fire department. Daily rainfall records were set in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. A total of 2.53 inches at Baltimore-Washington International Airport broke the previous daily record of 2.25 inches from 1947. Reagan National Airport reported 2.79 inches, which broke the previous record of 2.05 inches from 1945.

Severe thunderstorms tracked across Iowa in the afternoon with several tornadoes touching down across the state (19^th). One of the strongest storms of the day tracked through Marshalltown, Iowa, located northeast of Des Moines, with multiple reports of tornadoes across the area. Shortly after the storm passed through the town, a NWS trained weather spotter reported "catastrophic damage, including vehicles missing, vehicles overturned, and tools of buildings gone" near Marshalltown. At least 17 people were injured, according to the Associated Press. There have been no reports of fatalities, despite extensive damage. The NWS conducted a damage survey on Friday and concluded that the tornado that hit Marshalltown was an EF 3 with peak winds of 144 mph.

Rounds of torrential rain and serious flooding inundated the northeastern United States this week causing two of Pennsylvania's most popular amusement parks to close (23^rd-25^th). Hersheypark and Knoebels were forced to close after heavy rain left both parks severely flooded. A slow-moving storm system has been persistently sending tropical moisture into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast over the past few days. These downpours have caused streams and rivers to rise and spill out of their banks, leading to dangerous flooding. On Wednesday, the Swatara Creek near Hershey reached major flood stage and climbed the its second-highest level in 43 years. The National Weather Service described the flooding in this part of Pennsylvania as 'historic.' The river gauge on Swatara Creek at Hershey, PA has now reached the 2nd highest level since records began in October 1975 (43 years).

Widespread flooding was reported throughout Baltimore in the evening as thunderstorms drenched the city with inches of rain (28^th). The deluge caused streets to flood across the city, bringing traffic to a standstill in some areas during the Friday evening commute. Roads became impassable in the hardest-hit areas due to high water, stranding cars attempting to drive through the water. Some ramps on and off of I-83 and I-95 were also impassible for a time. Hundreds of flights were either delayed or canceled at the Baltimore Washington International Airport due to the storms, while Amtrak trains were forced to halt due to the severe weather. The first storms that moved through the city brought hail larger than quarters, followed by additional rounds of drenching storms.

EUROPE

The whole Caucasus region, a mountainous area on the border of Europe and Asia, suffered particularly high temperatures early this month. The capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, hit an all-time high of 40.5C on the 4th, and the heat ha (4^th)s put a significant strain on power grids in other countries nearby. There have been major power cuts in Iran because demand outstripped the electrical system's capabilities as people try to stay cool.

An unusually dry winter, with less than average rainfall interspersed with localized flooding in some areas, is emerging as a major contributing factor to the wildfires that are ravaging the mainland of Greece. Lack of the expected steady rainfall in the winter months meant groundwater sources failed to recharge and left vegetation unable to recover fully from the high temperatures of the 2017 summer (23^rd). As a result, when temperatures topping 40C hit some areas during this summer's heatwave and drought, the conditions were already in place for wildfires to take hold. Strong winds then fanned the flames and spread the fires widely before stretched fire-fighting teams could gain control. The fact that the fires took hold on land close to densely inhabited and resort areas was largely a matter of chance, but one that led to a death toll of more than 70 people and wrought devastation on homes. At least 82 people were died as a result of the fire.

A flash flood has struck an Athens suburb just days after the devastating wildfire ripped through parts of Greece killed at least 80 people (26^th). The Greek capital's fire department today received 140 calls for help to pump water from flooded homes and businesses. No injuries have been reported, but dozens of cars were damaged as torrential rain hit. Fire crews headed to a car park in the suburb of Maroussi to see if there were any people trapped in cars that were submerged in a muddy lake.

CANADA

Thirty-three people have died in a heat wave that has baked the southern part of the Canadian province of Quebec (5^th). The sweltering weather began last Friday with temperatures hitting 35C (95F) and high humidity. The death toll has climbed every day this week, with most of the victims between the ages of 50 to 80. The heat wave is the worst the province has seen in decades, officials say. Officials are urging people to drink plenty of water and stay in the shade. So far, 18 of the 33 deaths have been in Montreal, the most populous city in the province, with other deaths in surrounding regions. Average temperatures in Montreal are way above the usual 25C at this time of year. In Canada's capital Ottawa, in Ontario, the humidity index - the method used there to measure the combined humidity level and temperature - hit 47C on the 2nd. At the same time, parts of Eastern Canada saw a brief return of wintery weather, with snow in parts of Newfoundland and Cape Breton (Nova Scotia), and temperatures of -1C, in St John's and Halifax. Winter weather this late in the year is rare, this being the first since 1996. Footnote: By the 7th there were 70 deaths attributed to this heatwave, which was then diminishing in intensity.

AUTSRALIA

The temperature in Sydney topped 24.7C over two days in July for the first time since records began, about 8 degC higher than the average for this time of year (5^th-6^th).

AFRICA

Ouargla, in Algeria's Sahara Desert, reported a maximum temperature of 51C today (5^th). It is likely that this is the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Algeria. WMO's Weather and Climate Extremes Archive currently lists Kebili, Tunisia, as being Africa's highest temperature with 55C recorded in July 1931. However, there have been questions about the reliability of colonial era temperature records in Africa.

ASIA

Parts of western Japan hit by deadly floods and landslides are facing unprecedented danger as more downpours are expected, officials warn (7^th). More than 60 people are dead and dozens missing after record rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks in Hiroshima and other areas. Two million people have been ordered to evacuate. PM Shinzo Abe said rescuers were "working against time". "There are still many people missing and others in need of help," the prime minister told reporters on Sunday. Since Thursday parts of western Japan have received three times the usual rainfall for the whole of July, setting off floods and landslides. Most of the deaths have occurred in Hiroshima prefecture. In the town of Motoyama, 583mm of rain fell between Friday morning and Saturday morning. An official at the Japanese Meteorological Agency told a news conference: "This is a situation of extreme danger." 11th - update: The death toll reached 179 today. The Japan Meteorological Agency, said three hours of rainfall in one area in Kochi prefecture accumulated to 263 mm, the highest since such records started in 1976. This is the highest death toll caused by rainfall in Japan since 1982.

More than 10,000 people have been affected by a catastrophic dam collapse in southern Laos, according to figures published by the United Nations (23^rd). An unknown number of houses were washed away in the torrent, with aerial images of the aftermath showing what appear to be entire villages submerged by muddy brown water. Survivors could be seen clinging onto rooftops, while others paddled through the The Xepian Xe Nam Noy Dam, a billion dollar hydropower project part financed by South Korea, was still under construction when the breach occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday. The collapse of the dam, which occurred without warning, unleashed approximately 5 billion cubic meters of water. Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company Limited, one of the dam's four shareholders, said the incident was caused by the "continuous rainstorm which caused high volume of water to flow into the Project's reservoir."

A deadly heatwave continued across Japan, following the hottest day on record in Japan (24^th). The highest temperature ever recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) was reported on Monday when Kumagaya reached 41.1C. The Greater Tokyo Area also set an all-time high temperature on Monday as the temperature climbed to 40.8C. The JMA declared the heat wave to be a natural disaster on Tuesday as the death toll reached 77, according to the Japan Times. More than 30,000 people have been hospitalized for heat-related illnesses since 9 July.

GREENLAND

A huge iceberg has drifted close to a village in western Greenland, prompting a partial evacuation in case it splits and the resulting wave swamps homes (14^th). The iceberg is looming over houses on a promontory in the Innaarsuit village but is grounded and did not move overnight, local media say. Local officials say they have never seen such a big iceberg before. Last summer, four people died after waves swamped houses in north-western Greenland after an earthquake. Those of Inaarsuit's 169 residents living nearest the iceberg have been moved, Danish news agency Ritzau said. "There are cracks and holes that make us fear it can calve any time," village council member Susanne Eliassen told the local newspaper Sermitsiaq.

ARCTIC

At least 11 wildfires are raging inside the Arctic Circle as the hot, dry summer turns an abnormally wide area of Europe into a tinderbox (18^th). The worst affected country, Sweden, has called for emergency assistance from its partners in the European Union to help fight the blazes, which have broken out across a wide range of its territory and prompted the evacuations of four communities. Tens of thousands of people have been warned to remain inside and close windows and vents to avoid smoke inhalation. Rail services have been disrupted. The Copernicus Earth observation program, which gives daily updates of fires in Europe, shows more than 60 fires burning across Sweden, with sites also ablaze in Norway, Finland and Russia, including in the Arctic Circle.