Hottest rain on record? Rain falls at 115°F in Needles, California
A searing heat wave rare even for the Desert Southwest sent temperatures soaring to record levels on Monday, with Needles, California tying its record high for the date of 118°F (47.8°C). The temperature might have gone higher in Needles, but a thunderstorm rolled in at 3:20 pm, and by 3:56 pm PDT, rain began falling at a temperature of 115°F (46.1°C). Most of the rain evaporated, since the humidity was only 11%, and only a trace of precipitation was recorded in the rain gauge. Nevertheless, Monday's rain at 115° in Needles sets a new world record for the hottest rain in world history. I don't think many people were outside to experience to experience the feeling of rain falling at 115°, but if they were, it must have been an uncomfortable, sauna-like experience! Thanks go to Dr. Warren Blier of the NWS Monterey office for pointing out this remarkable event to me.
It is exceedingly rare to get rain when the temperature rises above 100°F, since those kind of temperatures usually require a high pressure system with sinking air that discourages rainfall. Monday's rain in Needles was due to a flow of moisture coming from the south caused by the Southwest U.S. monsoon, a seasonal influx of moisture caused by the difference in temperature between the hot desert and the cooler ocean areas surrounding Mexico to the south. According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, the previous record for hottest rain, which I blogged about in June, was a rain shower at 109°F (43°C) observed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 5, 2012 and in Marrakech, Morocco on July 10, 2010. The 11% humidity that accompanied Monday's rain shower at 115° in Needles was the lowest humidity rain has ever occurred at anywhere on Earth in recorded history, according to Mr. Herrera.
Figure 1. True-color MODIS satellite image of California and Arizona taken at 1:25 pm PDT August 13, 2012. Developing thunderstorms surround Needles, CA, and the line of clouds to the southwest of the city would develop into a thunderstorm that brought rain to the city at 4 pm PDT, at a temperature of 115°F. Image credit: NASA.
A "very rare" heat wave for Phoenix
The heat wave that brought Needles' record hot rain has broken an exceptional number of heat records in Phoenix, Arizona the past two weeks. According to the Phoenix NWS office, the "almost unbearable heat" of the first two weeks of August is a "very rare" event, and August 1 - 14, 2012 was the warmest such 2-week period in city history. The average temperature on August 6 - 13 was 100°F or higher each of the eight days, tying the record for most consecutive days with an average temperature of 100°. The temperature peaked at 116° on August 8, just 6° below Phoenix's all-time record of 122° set on June 26, 1990. The forecast for Phoenix call for a bit of relief--highs are expected to be a relatively modest 105° today, and down near 100° by Friday.
Figure 2. Morning satellite image of 93L over the Central Atlantic.
93L close to tropical depression status
A large tropical wave (Invest 93L) is located in the Central Atlantic about 700 miles east of Bermuda. Satellite loops this morning show a surface circulation has formed, and heavy thunderstorm activity has increased to the point where 93L should be considered a tropical depression, if the heavy thunderstorms can persist through this afternoon. Wind shear is light, and ocean temperatures are warm, near 28°C. The latest Saharan Air Layer Analysis from the University of Wisconsin shows that 93L has moistened its environment considerably, and dry air should no longer be a significant impediment to development. The 8 am EDT run of the SHIPS model predicts that wind shear will remain in the low range through the weekend, and I expect this system will become Tropical Storm Gordon by Friday. The storm will not affect Bermuda, but residents of the Azores Islands should keep an eye on 93L, which could pass through the islands as early as Sunday night. In their 8 am Tropical Weather Outlook, NHC gave 93L an 80% chance of becoming a tropical depression by Friday morning.
Elsewhere in the tropics
In the Gulf of Mexico, a fall-like cold front is expected to stall out early next week, and the GFS model is predicting something could start to spin up near the Texas/Mexico border on Monday. Wind shear is predicted to be low to moderate, and cold fronts stalled out over the Gulf of Mexico often serve as the seed for tropical storms.
Most of the models predict development of a new tropical wave off the coast of Africa 6 - 7 days from now.
Jeff Masters
Another dust storm rolling into town.
A stunning bolt of lightning over a lake in Chandler.
Reader Comments
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And that just has you salivating at the death & destruction it will cause.
Really sick people.
Late on September 18, while Gordon was beginning to accelerate to the northeast, a tropical storm watch was issued for all of the Azores. The hurricane was expected to weaken to tropical storm-force before affecting the islands. When it became apparent that Gordon would continue intensifying, a hurricane warning replaced the watch about 27 hours before the strongest winds affected the region.[1] The advance of the storm forced the closure of all schools in the region. Concurrently, officials increased the number of emergency workers on stand-by. The two westernmost islands – Corvo and Flores – were placed under a red alert, the highest on a four-level scale, which indicated the greatest threat for severe weather. The remainder of the archipelago was placed on low alert.[13] Ultimately, the Azores escaped significant damage as the hurricane passed farther south than expected. Overall impact was limited to toppled trees and power lines, leaving portions of Santa Maria Island without electrical service.[14] Santa Maria recorded sustained winds of 56 mph (90 km/h), with gusts to 82 mph (132 km/h).[1]
There's a good possibility it becomes a hurricane regardless if it RI's, it may become a category 2.
Having one of these mornings here... ;)
Fair
77°F
25°C
Humidity100%
Wind SpeedCalm
Barometer30.01 in
Dewpoint77°F (25°C)
Visibility10.00 mi
Heat Index78°F (26°C
According to the NHC, that's what is going to happen.
Hmm.. I understand. While I'm not in the same situation as you (I've never been through even a Category 1 hurricane), I want to experience a MH also. Just me.
It's okay to express your opinions. Be confident.
Oh... I meant unlikely 'today'. I forgot to add that.
Bookmark alert! Lunchtime live chat at 12 E/T with new #hurricane specialist Greg Postel.
Link
Oh it surely means you're anti-democrat and want a major to hit DC and wipe out the Dems!
Joking of course!
I think you're a bit mad for it! But haven't thought you were wishing mass destruction or the like myself. I wouldn't mind feeling a high tropical storm...like a real one, not a chilly extra-tropical one LOL I guess it's close enough what we get here sometimes, even the Arctic/North Sea storms that come down can have hurricane force winds. I can't even imagine beach waters being in the 80's though! Never been anywhere tropical. Wales' beach waters aren't much colder than Calif LOL Wales' beaches have lovely clear water as opposed to the rather normally murky Calif waters, so some beaches have a tropical look if not warmth LOL
Oh, and good morning Gordon! And before you're all the way gone...adios Hernesto :( LOL
AtHomeInTX~ Sounds like a Haircon 3 should be declared in your area:)
washingtonian115~ I don't remember anyone getting banned for wanting a storm...After that drought last year most of TX would be banned if that was the case.
Is it Guinea's coast?
...Then I'm mad for it too?
Reminds me of the pple in here who come in, look at a storm like Gordon, and say, "Oh, it's not going to hit the US so don't even look at it." A little less obvious bias is much appreciated.
Sheesh.
After experiencing Andrew at its worst (I used to live in Cutler Ridge) I know what a storm can do, and the lives it can kill & destroy. I lost my house and neighbors lost they lives.
Its the cheerleading on this blog that is totally sick.
Go hang out with Cyclone Oz, he'll take ya to a storm!
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2 012/08/salt_water_encroaching_low_mis.html
also this:
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/mi ssissippi_river_closed_to_sh.html
Also if coal, grain etc can't travel the river they will put it on trucks.... costing Everyone more money!!
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