The unprecedented early summer heat wave that affected northeastern China, Mongolia, and the Koreas on May 26-31 has shifted eastward to center over Japan since June 1st and has brought all-time record heat to the northern island of Hokkaido. On June 3rd a reading of 37.8°C (100.0°F) was recorded at Komaba tying Hokkaido’s all-time heat record (for any month) also set at Obihiro on July 12, 1924. At least four heat-related fatalities have been reported and 1,600 hospitalizations due to heat exhaustion.
weatherhistorian, • 7:27 PM GMT on May 30, 2014
As Jeff Masters noted in his blog today (May 27th) , Hurricane Amanda, the first tropical storm of the season in either the Eastern Pacific or Atlantic Ocean Basins, developed into the strongest such storm ever observed in the modern era during the month of May when it attained its peak intensity Sunday morning, May 26th, with a central pressure of 932 mb (27.52”) and sustained winds of 155 mph, just short of Category 5 status. Here is a brief historical review of Eastern Pacific tropical storms.
weatherhistorian, • 7:34 PM GMT on May 27, 2014
The heaviest rains to fall in much of northwest and central Texas in 8-10 months will bring respite to the drought-weary region. More heavy rainfall is expected this weekend. Here are some details.
weatherhistorian, • 7:20 PM GMT on May 23, 2014
As Jeff Masters posted in a blog Monday the worst flooding in a century has occurred in Bosnia and Serbia this past week. At the same time, a record May heat wave has affected Estonia, Finland, Belarus, and northwestern Russia. Here are some details.
weatherhistorian, • 7:18 PM GMT on May 20, 2014
April featured disastrous floods in the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan (where a landslide on May 2nd killed as many as 2,700). Unusual warmth persisted in much of Europe and southern China while more cold and snow continued in the eastern half of the U.S. A violent tornado outbreak hit the U.S. Midwest and Southeast late in the month and a strong tropical cyclone pounded Queensland, Australia. Preliminary NASA data indicates that this past April was globally the 2nd warmest on record (since 1880).Below are some of the month’s highlights.
weatherhistorian, • 9:33 PM GMT on May 16, 2014
An exceptionally heavy snowfall buried many locations in Colorado and Wyoming the past few days. In the mountains two to three feet accumulated and even low elevations saw near record snowfall amounts for this time of the year. Here are some details.
weatherhistorian, • 9:37 PM GMT on May 13, 2014
As a follow up to my previous blog, the early May heat wave continues making this perhaps the warmest period of weather ever observed this time of the year in portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, and northwestern Texas. The same region is also off to one of its driest starts to the year ever observed.
weatherhistorian, • 7:45 PM GMT on May 07, 2014
On Sunday, May 4th, the temperature peaked at 102° at Wichita’s official NWS site Mid-Continent International Airport. Not only was this the hottest temperature ever measured during the month of May (previous record was 100° set on four different occasions) but was the earliest 100° reading on record (previous was May 9, 2011) and hottest reading so early in the season by a whole month: since June 4, 1933 when 102° was also observed. The city is off to its 2nd driest start of the year on record as well. Temperature and precipitation records for Wichita date back to 1888.
weatherhistorian, • 7:19 PM GMT on May 05, 2014
The water season (July 1-June 30) has, for all practical purposes, come to an end for California. Although May and June may see some additional precipitation (especially in the far north) it is unlikely that anything will happen to improve the prospect of a catastrophic drought this year for the state. Here is a monthly update.
weatherhistorian, • 7:36 PM GMT on May 02, 2014