Heat waves will be so much worse. Gah.

"During the European heat wave of 2003 that killed tens of thousands, the temperature in parts of France hit 104 degrees. Nearly 15,000 people died in that country alone. During the Chicago heat wave of 1995, the mercury spiked at 106 and about 600 people died.
In a few decades, people will look back at those heat waves "and we will laugh," said Andreas Sterl, author of a new study. "We will find (those temperatures) lovely and cool."
Sterl's computer model shows that by the end of the century, high temperatures for once-in-a-generation heat waves will rise twice as fast as everyday average temperatures. Chicago, for example, would reach 115 degrees in such an event by 2100. Paris heat waves could near 109 with Lyon coming closer to 114.
His study projects a peak of 117 for Los Angeles and 110 for Atlanta by 2100; that's 5 degrees higher than the current records for those cities. Kansas City faces the prospect of a 116-degree heat wave, with its current all-time high at 109, according to the National Climactic Data Center.
A few cities, such as Phoenix, which once hit 122 degrees and is projected to have heat waves of 120, have already reached these extreme temperatures once or twice. But they would be hitting those numbers a little more often as the world heats up over time. For New York, it would only be a slight jump from the all-time record of 104 at John F. Kennedy Airport to the projected 106.
It could be worse. Delhi, India is expected to hit 120 degrees; Belem, Brazil, 121, and Baghdad, 122.
And it's not just at the end of the century. By 2050, heat waves will be 3 to 5 degrees hotter than now "and probably be longer-lasting," Sterl said.
By mid-century, southern France's extreme heat waves should be around 111 degrees and then near 118 by the end of the century, Sterl's climate models predict. In the 1990s, that region's extreme heat wave peaked at 104 degrees; in the 1950s, the worst heat wave peaked around 91 degrees, according to Sterl." LINK

Midwest flooding still going strong, worse than predicted, California baking in the heat.

"Amid the battle to hold back the swollen Mississippi River, some towns in northeastern Missouri and Illinois got an unwelcome surprise Saturday as river levels rose higher than projected.
National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Miller speculated that forecast models simply had been unable to account for the amount of water flowing into the Mississippi from the three rivers that saw major flooding in Iowa - the Cedar, Iowa and Des Moines rivers.
"Honestly, the models didn't do well with it because it was so far out of the range of normal," Miller said." LINK

And out on the West coast,

"On the second official day of summer and the fourth consecutive day of the heat wave, hundreds of thousands of Angelenos flocked to city pools and beaches as temperatures rose to triple digits in many areas.
...The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had 50 crews working to restore power to about 4,000 customers in North Hollywood, Canoga Park, Reseda, Northridge and other areas.
..."This is a combination of extreme heat and, consequently, extraordinary demands for energy and a strain on our system," Ramallo said. Officials urged people to avoid running major appliances in the afternoon, when energy demand is highest, and to keep thermostats at 78 degrees." LINK

And more wildfires, too!
"Wildfires were scattered around Northern California on Sunday, many of them started by lightning, as crews farther south were close to containing a blaze that had forced thousands to evacuate." LINK

Just in time for people to flock to the beaches...

The heat wave is breaking records, but scope out the water before you dive in at the beach! "Hundreds of Providence city workers were sent home for the day with pay Monday because of the excessive heat. " link

"Two Separate Great White Shark Sightings Reported Near Martha's Vinyard

But no one should run screaming from the water yet, according to a state expert who studies sharks.
Despite the cultural fear of sharks, often attributed to the movie "Jaws," it is not unusual to see the species off the Cape and Islands, said Greg Skomal, a fisheries biologist who specializes in studying sharks for the state Division of Marine Fisheries.
"There are great whites off the coast of New England, although the species is relatively rare," he said.
"I did not observe the animal or animals myself, but the two people who reported them are experienced, credible sources."
The accounts by Capt. Buddy Vanderhoop of Aquinnah and Capt. Scott McDowell of Chilmark are similar. Both described an animal around 15 feet long and wide in girth." Link

Feeling extra DOOMED!

Well, the market tanked, oil spiked, ridiculous numbers of tornadoes are erasing whole towns in the midwest, and worst of all (ok, for me!) - it is going to get stupidly hot. In June.

"That once glorious sunshine will scorch, burn, and become unbearable. The sweet smell of blooming flowers will be lost in breezes that are soupy and stifling. Air conditioners will be lugged out of basements even though snow shoveling is still a fresh memory.
Spring is expected to come to an abrupt end this weekend as temperatures top 90 degrees in Boston on Saturday, igniting what may be the year’s first three-day heat wave. In Western Massachusetts the mercury may creep up near triple digits.
"Normally we don't see these temperatures until late July or early August," said Charlie Foley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton. "We will be just a touch away from real tropical, sultry, New Orleans-style weather." LINK

16 dead in Cali heat wave. So sad.

"....including an elderly couple who neighbors described as inseparable and sometimes unwilling to turn on their air conditioner because of the expense.

"My cleaning lady recently came down to complain that it was too hot in there to work," Friedman said. "I couldn't force them to turn it on, and their family should have paid if money was an issue. It's just horrible; it could have been prevented."

In Lancaster, the body of Linda Burkhart, 53, was found Sunday in her car by a passerby in the 700 block of West Avenue I, said sheriff's Sgt. Martin Rodriguez.

Burkhart was "in a state of undress" and appeared to be living out of the vehicle, he said. Her body, which was found sitting in a reclined position, was already decomposing."That is not unusual in this heat," Rodriguez said. There was no indication of foul play and an autopsy is pending.

Also Sunday, about 1:10 p.m., the body of Dorothy McGlothan, in her 80s, was found in her apartment on the 900 block of North Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, Winter said. The temperature in her apartment was 115 degrees, he said. "
Link

hot hot heat

"Southern heat wave blamed for 33 deaths
Drought worsens as much of South sees 10th day of 100-degree weather

The heat wave sweeping through the South has been blamed for at least 33 deaths this month and created potentially ruinous drought conditions.

...Alabama officials were considering alternatives to transporting students to schools on un-air-conditioned buses. The temperature inside one bus registered 122 degrees as it returned from its route Thursday afternoon in Montgomery, where the official high was 102.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that drought conditions had reached an “exceptional” level across Alabama, western Georgia, southern Tennessee and northern Alabama.

Alabama was worst-hit, NBC affiliate WPMI of Huntsville reported. Dusty, dry conditions created by the drought covered more than 73 percent of the state from the Florida to the Tennessee state lines.

NOAA forecast that the drought would persist in northern and central Alabama through November and warned that it could spread as far north as Ohio and as far west as Missouri. "
LINK

Major air pollution episode right now across US

Right here, it isn't too hot. But looking at the weather across the country, damn. The heat wave is beastly to be sure, but Dr. Jeff Masters is calling it worse than that on his always fantastic blog.

"What may be the most deadly weather event to affect the U.S. this year is underway across large portions of the central and eastern U.S. A large area of high pressure with light winds has settled over the region, bringing unhealthful levels of ozone and fine particulate matter to many major cities. High pressure systems are regions where the air gradually sinks, warming as it approaches the surface. This warming, sinking air creates a layer of air aloft (typically near 3000 feet in altitude) that is warmer than the air beneath it. This "upper air inversion" acts as a lid on the atmosphere, keeping pollutants trapped near the surface. Updrafts carrying surface air into the inversion suddenly encounter air that is warmer and less dense, so the updraft dies and the pollutants that they were trying to carry aloft settle back down towards the surface. If the high pressure region is large, an extensive area of light winds at the surface will exist, keeping the pollutants trapped under the inversion from being blown away horizontally. If the high pressure system stays in place for several days, pollutants will accumulate day by day, reaching levels harmful to human health and triggering a sharp rise in the death rate. "Particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is the pollutant that causes the largest rise in the death rate. Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM 2.5) is particularly harmful to the lungs. A double-whammy dose of ozone pollution is also occurring this week, since temperatures are warm enough to drive the chemical reactions that form ozone."
LINK

NYC extreme weather

Crikey- flood + 100 degree weather + New Yorkers? Doom, dude.

"Morning rush hour became a quagmire Wednesday as subways, buses and even cabs were slowed by flooding from torrential overnight rains.

The flooding has disrupted service for commuter trains and the metro as well.
"Due to severe flooding throughout the subway system, there are extensive delays on all subway lines," said a statement from the Metro Transit Authority (MTA). "Customers are advised when at all possible to use bus service." LINK

Whistling in the dark

No power in Barcelona (2nd day of major outages - 350,000 were without electricity) LINK
No power in San Francisco (51,000 affected) LINK
No power in Albania (yes, the entire country) as well as "at least 27 heat-related deaths in Romania, four in Italy, and dozens of houses destroyed by forest fires in Macedonia." LINK

On the other hand, in China, "The flood-battered banks of the Huaihe River are at risk of washing away, posing a grave threat to the homes of millions of people, Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Torrential rains have wrought havoc across large parts of China this summer, most recently in the southwest and the east, killing more than 500 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.

More rain has been forecast. " LINK

The UK flooding: "Britain's flood victims are facing further misery with Government officials warning water levels are still to peak in many areas, while forecasters predict another deluge of heavy rain.

As a massive humanitarian operation to supply fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people gets underway in central and western England, it has also emerged that the worst floods in modern history had claimed their first lives.

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, warned last night that the crisis along parts of the river Thames was still expected to worsen.

More rain will stretch the emergency operation even further. The Met Office has predicted rain today, heavier downpours on Thursday and then the threat of persistent heavy rain stretching through the weekend. " LINK

March heat wave in Southern California

More heat + more drought = more fires.

"The National Weather Service is forecasting a heat wave over the next three days that will push temperatures into the 90s in some places, probably breaking records.

The forecast is the latest twist in a period of unseasonable weather, with the Southland on pace to experience its driest year on record.

The Santa Anas blowing in from the desert this weekend are expected to be weak. That doesn't sound like much — except Santa Anas aren't supposed to be blowing in March to begin with.

"It's going to be bad fire weather," Patzert said. "One thing that's been really constant has been the Santa Anas. We've had hot Santa Anas, cold Santa Anas and mild Santa Anas. We've had a lot of Santa Anas and no rain." "
LINK

2006 was a very strange year, and it's looking like 2007 will be even stranger.

2006 was the 6th warmest year on record, worldwide, and the warmest ever recorded for the UK. In the US, it was a record setting year for wildfire, with over 9,500,000 acres burned. Heat waves in the summer set records in many parts of the country, and killing over 200. The arctic sea ice was recorded at it's lowest levels, following a trend of losing a double-Texas area each year.
On a personal gripy note, it's New Year's Day, and it's raining, I wish so much that it was snow.

What is 2007 going to be like?
Hotter than ever. A combination of the warming trends with what is looking to be an El Nino year is alarming the folks at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the United Nations agency that deals with climate prediction.

"The WMO said its latest readings showed that a "moderate" El Niño, with sea temperatures 1.5C above average, was taking place which, in the worst case scenario, could develop into an extreme weather pattern lasting up to 18 months, as in 1997-98. The UN agency noted that the weather pattern was already having "early and intense" effects, including drought in Australia and dramatically warm seas in the Indian Ocean, which could affect the monsoons. It warned the El Niño could also bring extreme rainfall to parts of east Africa which were last year hit by a cycle of drought and floods."