Mega Heat Wave Continues in Western U.S.

Death Valley Temperatures ranged from 128 to 132 Sunday

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported  a peak temperature of 128 degrees in Death Valley National Park at 4 pm on Sunday, which ties the record for the hottest June day anywhere in the U.S.

However, informal reading showed temperatures of up to 4 degrees higher, recorded at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A large digital model at the entrance of the headquarters showed a peak temperature of 132 degrees. “That thermometer was showing off temperatures above 130 degrees for much of Sunday afternoon,” LAT said.

If confirmed, the reading of 132ºF would shatter the record for June temperatures in the U.S.

The highest recorded temperature on earth was set at 134 degrees in Death Valley almost exactly a century ago on July 10, 1913.

On June 5, 2013, the blog posted the following forecast:

FIRE-EARTH Models show the world record high temperature of 134ºF set 100 years ago cold be broken this year with a probability of about 78 percent.

Meantime, NOAA released the U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records set on June 29, 2013.

U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records set on June 29, 2013

U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records set on June 29, 2013. A total of 69 records were broken or tied: 47 broken; 22  tied. NOAA/NCDC.

The Western United States will continue to experience high temperatures of up to 20 degrees above average, according to NWS.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said it has experienced a  surge of more than 61% in wildfire responses (2,900 fires) in the first half of 2013, compared with the same period in average year (1,800 fires).

• Meantime, a deadly wildfire in Arizona killed 19 fire crews:  Arizona Wildfire Claims 19 Lives.

The impact of heat would be exacerbated by smoke from hundreds of wildfire burning in the region, FIRE-EARTH believes.

Where there is fire…

Current HMS Fire and Smoke Analysis. Source NOAA/SSD

Related Links

• Extreme heat wave in western U.S. severely affects journalistic integrity globally !  June 29, 2013
• Record Temperatures Broken or Tied in Western US June 29, 2013
• Extreme Heatwave: Nature Zeroing In On A Primary Target June 28, 2013
• “Life-threatening” Heat Wave Developing in SW U.S. June 27, 2013
• FIRE-EARTH Forecast: World Record High Temperature Could Be Broken This Year June 5, 2013
• [FIRE-EARTH Forecast] U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013

States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises

District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio and the two Virginias declare States of Emergency amid rising storms toll

Deadly storms across Eastern U.S. have claimed at least 13 lives and left many injured, hundreds homeless and about 6 million utility customers, or an estimated 20 million people, without power amid sweltering heat wave.

Widespread damage and power losses have been reported across a vast region ravaged by deadly storms since Friday.

The storms have left a trail of destruction from Indiana to New Jersey, with the worst-hit areas being in Washington Metropolitan area, Maryland, West Virginia, and suburban Virginia.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell called the widespread power losses as “the largest non-hurricane power outage in Virginia history,” as more storms threatened. “This is a very dangerous situation,” the governor said, “the next few days in Virginia are going to be very, very difficult.”

• The deadly storms claimed at least 6 lives across Virginia (pop: ~ 8.1 million), and left about 2.5 million customers, or an estimated 7.5 million people, without power. [Includes about 120,000 customers in Richmond area and 680,000 in northern Virginia.]
• More than 3.5 million homes and businesses supplied by Dominion Virginia Power in Indiana, Ohio and Virginia have been affected.

In Ohio, excessive heat, widespread power losses and utility damages prompted Gov.  Kasich to declare a state of emergency. As of Saturday morning, about 1 million homes and businesses, or an estimated total of 3 million people, still faced power outages.

“I’m very concerned with the problems created by the combination of power outages and severe heat, and so I’ve declared an emergency for all of Ohio so that state resources and personnel can help local governments meet the needs and challenges that they face.” Kasich said.

• The Disaster President [Barrack Obama] has since declared Ohio a Federal Disaster Area.

In Maryland, at least 800 people were left homeless after storms tore off the roofs of two apartment buildings in Riverdale Park, said Mayor Vernon Archer.

• Governor O’Malley declared a State of Emergency following the devastation.
• About 1 million utility customers in Maryland, an estimated 3 million people, were still without power early Saturday morning, “similar to the number that lost power in 2003 when Tropical Storm Isabel hit the state,” said a report.

Across West Virginia (pop: ~1.9 million), where Gov. Earl Ray had already declared a state of emergency, some 700,000 customers, or an estimated 1.7 million people, were without power in 53 of the state’s 55 counties.

• “Those winds were so strong and over such a wide area,” the governor told reporters. “It’s going to take several days to get power back on.”
• The Disaster President declared West Virginia a Federal Disaster Area on Saturday.

In Washington, the utility company Pepco reported more than 440,000 outages in the Capital.

In Indiana, at least 135,000 customers, or an estimated half a million people, lost power.

Atlantic County, New Jersey, declared a state of emergency due to the violent storms which left more than 200,000 customers, or an estimated 750,000 people, without power.

• In Salem County NJ, officials declared a state of emergency after storms left at least 2 people dead, causing widespread damage and cutting power to at least 10,000 homes and businesses.
• The Mayor of Vineland (Pop: 65,000), a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, also declared a disaster emergency.

Pennsylvania: about  40,000 customers lost power.

Kentucky and North Carolina:  at least 2,500 homes and businesses lost power.

Illinois: Commonwealth Edison power utility reported more than 210,000 outages.

FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio and BGE (Maryland) had reported a total of about 1.6  million power outages.

See links for details of heat wave and the new record high temperatures set in the U.S.

• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand

Risk of Severe Thunderstorms Continues Tonight As Heat Continues Across South: NWS

Scattered thunderstorms expected tonight and Sunday over the Central Plains, Midwest and East Central States. Some thunderstorms will be severe with damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.

US Weather Hazards Map, July 1, 2012

Mega Heat Wave

Dangerous heat is forecast to continue throughout the South.  Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in effect  in parts of more than 2 dozen states across the southeast and lower half of the Mississippi Valley with triple-digit temperatures forecast across the southern third of the U.S., said NWS.

About 150 all-time high temperature records have been broken in recent days.

Millions of people have been urged to seek out shelter amid triple-digit heat and large-scale power outages.

High Temperature Forecast for July 1, 2012.