Summer 2010 is far from over, but extremely hot weather has been a major weather story to date, not only in the United States but also in other parts of the northern hemisphere. All-time record high temperatures have been tied or broken in more than a dozen nations.
Across the United States, the heat has been particularly persistent in the southern and eastern parts of the country. A July heat wave produced 100-plus-degree heat along the Eastern Seaboard from southern New England to the Virginias, including temperatures in excess of 105� F in parts of Maryland (including Baltimore) and Virginia. Hartford, Connecticut, tied its all-time record high temperature of 102� F on July 6.
Globally, at least 14 different countries have reported all-time record high temperatures this year (not all have been during the northern hemisphere summer), according meteorologist to Jeff Masters of Weather Underground.
On Thursday of this last week, all-time record high temperatures were established in Moscow, Russia, with a high of 102� F. The heat has been persistent -- this will be the hottest July on record by far -- and accompanied by a severe drought, damage to crops and wildfires. In addition, Finland established a new all-time record for heat on Thursday when the temperature hit 99 degrees in Joensuu.
The most intense heat of the summer has occurred in the typically hot Middle East. All-time record high temperatures have been established in Saudi Arabia, Iraq (125.6� F for both) and Pakistan (128.3� F).
The intense heat in both cases -- across the United States and in Europe/Middle East -- has been produced by persistent and strong high pressure systems in the upper levels of the atmosphere.
Across the United States, it's common for a high pressure system to be dominant in the summer, but the high has been centered farther to the east than it is during most summers, resulting in the core of the heat being focused farther to the east. While there have been occasional breaks from the intense heat in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the heat has been more persistent in the Deep South. Temperatures average three to five degrees above normal in June and two to four degrees above normal in July.
With the heat focused farther to the east, it's actually been cooler than normal in Southern California, especially close to the coast where water temperatures have been lower than normal. Temperatures in July have averaged three to five degrees cooler than average from Los Angeles to San Diego. Each city had a record cool day. The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had a high of 67� F on July 9, and San Diego recorded a high temperature of 64� F on July 8 .
Across Europe and the Middle East, a high pressure system in the summer is also common; however, its strength typically waxes and wanes. This summer, it's been more persistently strong than it is during most summers, allowing the heat to occur with more frequency and intensity.
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