We saw a lot of this last year... Not good for the plants (or critters). Temperature extremes can cause hibernating/dormant life-forms to wake up before winter is over!

Experts issue warning about powerful weather phenomenon that could soon impact US: 'This looks to be a prolonged event'

Story by Timothy McGill, November 20, 2025

Excerpt: "The forecast now is calling for the country's rollercoaster ride of temperatures to continue. Weather whiplash saw at least 90 cold records fall from Nov. 9-12, followed by at least 40 record highs broken in a single day, only around a week later. The U.S. could now be on the cusp of a record-breaking cold snap settling in about a week from now.

"Our overheating planet is weakening and destabilizing the #PolarVortex, driven by changes in the Arctic. The region is warming almost four times faster than the global average. Our warming world is supercharging this phenomenon known as #ArcticAmplification."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/experts-issue-warning-about-powerful-weather-phenomenon-that-could-soon-impact-us-this-looks-to-be-a-prolonged-event/ar-AA1QQUsm?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=69208533bec04332851e9f49fcbb3451&ei=10

#ClimateChange #ExtremeTemperatures #WeatherWhiplash #TemperatureExtremes #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel

MSN

The new research can now reveal that the algae have a unique ice-gliding ability that allows them to move in #extremetemperatures in the #Arctic
Chukchi Sea expedition
The researchers gathered ice core samples that included the algae, ice-dwelling diatoms, during a 45-day Arctic expedition in the Chukchi Sea aboard the research vessel, owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

#Greece, #Spain and #Portugal race to contain #wildfires as #EU steps up cross-border help

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and SUMAN NAISHADHAM
August 14, 2025

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — "Fire crews in Greece, Spain and Portugal raced to contain wildfires on Thursday, taking advantage of calmer winds that slowed the blazes even as much of southern Europe remained at high risk under hot, dry conditions.

"A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Authorities warned that #ExtremeTemperatures are likely to persist.

"Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of #Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can not return.

"In Greece, the Fire Service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of #Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set.

"#HighWinds in Greece shifted to different parts of the country on Thursday. Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the civil protection minister, said authorities were bracing for the likelihood of a new round of major fires."

https://apnews.com/article/greece-spain-portugal-wildfires-european-union-78e8d4c8fd4d16bd99417ad94f11bc68

#EuropeanWildfires #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Arson #ExtremeHeat #WildfiresKnowNoBorders

Greece, Spain and Portugal race to contain wildfires as EU steps up cross-border help

Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires. Calmer winds on Thursday have helped slow the blazes. Southern Europe remains at high risk due to hot, dry conditions. Authorities warn that extreme temperatures are likely to persist. In Spain, a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter died from severe burns north of Madrid. It marks the third death in Spain from recent fires. Thousands have been evacuated. In Greece, a major blaze outside Patras has been contained. The European Union’s civil protection agency has sent firefighting planes and helicopters to assist affected countries.

AP News

#Japan marks highest-ever temperature of 41.2 C in #Hyogo

By Tomoko Otake, Jul 30, 2025

"Japan recorded the highest ever temperature of 41.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, beating the previous high of 41.1 C marked in 2018 and 2020. Authorities are strongly urging people to take precautions to avoid risks of heatstroke.

"The mercury hit the above-human temperature of 41.2 C in the city of Tanba, Hyogo Prefecture, at 14:39, while two cities — #Fukuchiyama in #Kyoto and #Nishiwaki in Hyogo — also recorded extremely high temperatures of 40.6 C and 40 C, respectively.

"Wednesday marked the first day this year that temperatures topping 40 C were recorded, according to NHK. Last year, the city of Mino, Gifu Prefecture, hit that mark on Aug. 16.

"As human-induced climate change drives extreme heat across Japan, the number of people taken to hospitals over heat-related illnesses had surged to 10,804 in the week through Sunday, a huge jump from 5,309 recorded the week before, according to the Fire Management Agency. By prefecture, Tokyo topped the list of such people, at 1,099, followed by Saitama’s 750 and Hokkaido’s 690.

"In Hokkaido, where many people are not acclimated to heat, the number was a significant increase from 247 recorded in the same week last year.

"The agency is urging people to use air conditioners and cooling fans properly and take fluids frequently.

"The ongoing heat wave is likely to continue for several more days. According to the Meteorological Agency, a Pacific high-pressure system will cover much of Japan from Saturday through Monday, bringing extreme heat to wide areas."

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/30/japan/hyogo-highest-temperature/

#ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #ExtremeTemperatures #ClimateDiaryJapan #RecordBreakingHeat

Japan marks highest-ever temperature of 41.2 C in Hyogo

The mercury hit the above-human temperature of 41.2 C in the city of Tanba, Hyogo Prefecture, as authorities urged people to take precautions to avoid heatstroke.

The Japan Times
Africa: Guineafowl Can Outsmart Extreme Temperatures - We Spent a Year Finding Out How: [The Conversation Africa] Have you ever wondered how wild birds cope with baking hot afternoons and freezing cold mornings? Our new study has taken a close look at one of Africa's most familiar birds - the helmeted guineafowl - and uncovered surprising answers about how they deal with extreme temperatures. http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TLvMqW #Guineafowl #Wildlife #BirdsOfAfrica #ExtremeTemperatures #NatureStudy

#USWeather: Over 2,800 #HighTemperature records set during #HeatWave

A week-long heat wave set over 2,800 record high temperatures in towns across the nation, with some spots measuring their hottest June or all-time temperatures.

By Jesse Ferrell & Brian Lada
Published Jun 23, 2025

"A total of 955 daily high temperature records and 1,899 daily high minimum (warm night) records were tied or broken during the last week's heat wave.

"Records dating back to the 1800s were shattered as an early-summer heat wave roasted large areas of the central and eastern United States. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures blew past the 100-degree mark, air conditioners were on full blast, and cities opened cooling centers to help people cope with the intense heat.

" 'This is an incredibly hot and steamy heat wave for the month of June,' AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Tuesday's heat breaks 137-year-old record

"The heat wave peaked on Tuesday, and it wasn't just the hottest day of 2025, but the hottest weather many residents in the Northeast have experienced in over a decade.

"The mercury soared to 102 degrees in Boston on Tuesday afternoon, making it the hottest day in the city since July 22, 2011, when it reached 103. Philadelphia also notched its first 100-degree day since July 18, 2012.

"In New York City, the temperature fell just shy of hitting triple digits, but the high of 99 degrees was still enough to beat the previous daily record for the date, surpassing the high of 96 degrees set on June 24, 1888. Some areas not far from Central Park, where the official weather observations for the city are taken, did manage to hit 100 degrees, including Newark (103) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (102).

"Other cities across the region that reached 100 F on Tuesday afternoon include Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Wilmington and Dover, Delaware; and Manchester, New Hampshire.

"Monthly and hourly records were also set

"Illustrating how unusual and early the heat wave was, a thermometer in #AugustaME, recorded 100 degrees, tying their all-time record high set on Aug. 5, 1955. It joined 13 other stations where the temperature had never been recorded hotter.

"Many cities had never been as hot in June as they were Tuesday. Stations reporting their hottest June temperatures on record include #NewarkNJ, at 103 (tied); #NewYorkCity (Kennedy & LaGuardia at 102 and 101, a tie); Islip, New York at 101; Portland and #BangorME, at 99 and 98, a tie; and Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, at 93, recorded on Monday. A total of 90 stations set June records.

"The heat came early in the day, with #Philadelphia setting or tying new hourly record highs for 9 a.m., 7 a.m., and 5 a.m., and New York City (JFK Airport) notching new or tied extreme highs at 3 a.m., 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. For June, Philadelphia's hourly temperatures had never been higher for all but two hours of the day.

Monday's records

"The first full week of astronomical summer wasted no time warming up, with many thermometers across the region reaching levels they haven't hit in years.

"#Baltimore's Inner Harbor was one of the hottest spots on Monday, with a high of 104 F. The high humidity and strong summer sun made it dangerously hot outside, with the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature topping out at 113 degrees. To put this heat into perspective, 113 degrees is the historical average high temperature in Death Valley in mid-June.

"#NewarkNJ, reached 101 degrees, breaking its daily record of 99, and #RaleighNC, tied its daily record of 100, set last year.

"Although other weather stations broke records, they were all below 100 degrees. Most notably, the temperature at Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, rose to 93 degrees, breaking the daily record and setting June's highest reading. This was the first 90-degree day at Mount Pocono since 2013.

Sunday's records

"On Sunday, three weather stations broke the high temperature records for the date. Alpena, Michigan, hit 97 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the previous record of 93 set in 1975. In #ValleyNE, the mercury pushed up to 94 degrees, breaking the old record of 91 from 2023. And in #MarquetteMI, the old record of 90 degrees, on this date in 1995, was smashed by a reading of 93.

"But it wasn't just daily record highs. Records for warm nights were also broken at breakneck speed. Saturday night tied the all-time high minimum historical record for Green Bay, Wisconsin, at 79 degrees, previously achieved in July 4, 1897, and July 30, 1916. Wausau, Wisconsin, didn't cool below 78 degrees, which had previously happened only on July 4, 1999. The fact that these records were previously recorded in July is an indicator of how early this severe heat wave is.

"Record warm nights for June were also set at La Crosse, Wisconsin, (80 degrees) and Mason City, Iowa, (77 degrees) Saturday night.

"A total of 255 record warm nights for June were recorded over the last week, with 59 of those new records the warmest nights ever recorded at the stations."

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/over-2800-high-temperature-records-set-during-heat-wave/1787130

#ClimateDiary #ClimateDiaryUS #ClimateDiaryMaine #RecordBreakingHeat #ExtremeHeat #Humidity #ExtremeTemperatures #Wetbulb #GlobalWarming #GlobalBoiling

A bit clunky, but it's crowdsourced and has a lot of places other sites don't have...

#WorldAirQuality Index [#WAQI] project

"The map shows the real-time air quality for more than 10,000 stations in the world."

https://waqi.info/

#AIQ #Wildfires #Heatwave #Heatwaves #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Pollution #ExtremeTemperatures #AirQualityIndex
#GlobalWeather #WeatherWebsites

World's Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index

How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 80 countries.

waqi.info

I've used this website to track wildfires in British Columbia last year. US and Canada only, though... On the map right now, one can see there's a LOT of wildfires in #Alaska and part of #Yukon! Yikes!

https://fire.airnow.gov/

#AIQ #Wildfires #Heatwave #Heatwaves #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #ExtremeTemperatures
#GlobalWeather #WeatherWebsites
#WeatherResources #USWx #CanadianWx #WildfireWeather #ClimateChangeWeatherWheel

AirNow Fire and Smoke Map

This map shows fine particle pollution (PM2.5) from wildfires and other sources. It provides a public resource of information to best prepare and manage wildfire season. Developed in a joint partnership between the EPA and USFS.

Weather in Finland - Finnish Meteorological Institute

Includes: "Warnings, UV index, Marine weather, Weather in Europe, and Past 30 day Weather" and #climatenews!

https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/

#Heatwave #Heatwaves #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #ExtremeTemperatures
#GlobalWeather #WeatherWebsites
#WeatherResources #EuropeWx #FinnishWx #FinnishWeather

Homepage - Finnish Meteorological Institute

The FMI makes observations and research on the atmosphere, the near space and the seas. It provides services for public safety, business life and citizens.

Finnish Meteorological Institute

So, the CDC's Heat & Health Tracker website has been gutted (thanks #DOGE). "This website is no longer being maintained, and no new data will be added." The page does suggest to check out the NWS HeatRisk website, which is experimental and allegedly up for a short time only.

"The NWS HeatRisk is an experimental color-numeric-based index that provides a forecast risk of heat-related impacts to occur over a 24-hour period. HeatRisk takes into consideration:

- How unusual the heat is for the time of the year
- The duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures
- If those temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts based on data from the CDC

"This index is supplementary to official NWS heat products and is meant to provide risk guidance for those decision makers and heat-sensitive populations who need to take actions at levels that may be below current NWS heat product levels. "

https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk/

#Heatwave #Heatwaves #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #ExtremeTemperatures
#GlobalWeather #USWx #USWeather #ExtremeWeather #WeatherWebsites
#WeatherResources

NWS HeatRisk