The new hottest place on Earth: Death Valley, California
As any weather aficionado can avow, Earth's most iconic weather record has long been the legendary all-time hottest temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) measured 90 years ago today at El Azizia, Libya on September 13, 1922. One hundred thirty six degrees! It's difficult to comprehend that heat like that could exist on our planet. For 90 years, no place on Earth has come close to beating the unbelievable 136 degree reading from Al Azizia, and for good reason--the record is simply not believable. But Earth's mightiest weather record has been officially cast down. Today, the official arbiter of Earth's weather records, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), announced that the all-time heat record held for exactly 90 years by El Azizia in Libya "is invalid because of an error in recording the temperature." The WMO committee found five major problems with the measurement. Most seriously, the temperature was measured in a paved courtyard over a black, asphalt-like material by a new and inexperienced observer, not trained in the use of an unsuitable replacement instrument that could be easily misread. The observer improperly recorded the observation, which was consequently in error by about 7°C (12.6°F.) The new official highest hottest place on the planet is now Death Valley, California. A remarkable high temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) was measured there on 10 July 1913, at Greenland Ranch.
Figure 1. The trading post at Al Azizia, Libya in 1923. The photo was taken from the Italian military fort located on a small hill just south of the trading post. It was at this fort that the temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) was observed on Sept. 13, 1922 (used with permission from the family of Gen. Enrico Pezzi).
The story behind the overturning of Earth's most hallowed weather record
Today's announcement is the culmination of a 3-year research effort begun by wunderground weather historian, Christopher C. Burt. His blog post today, World Heat Record Overturned--A Personal Account, provides a fascinating detective story on how the record came to be cast down--and how the Libyan revolution of 2012 almost prevented this from happening.
Figure 2. The new official hottest place on the planet: Death Valley, California. Wide open spaces, infinite views, intensely salty water, mind-boggling heat. What's not to love about this place? Image credit: Wunderphotographer SonomaCountyRAF.
Dead Heat: The Video
Don't miss the 25-minute wunderground video, Dead Heat, a detective story on how the El Azizia record was overturned.
Atlantic tropical update
Tropical Storm Nadine is recurving to the northwest and north well east of the Lesser Antilles Islands, on a track that would likely keep this storm far out at sea away from any land areas. However, Nadine may eventually threaten the Azores Islands or Newfoundland; the models are divided on how the steering currents will evolve next week, and we cannot be sure which way Nadine will go during the middle of next week.
The models predict that a trough of low pressure off the U.S. East Coast may serve as the focus for development of a non-tropical low pressure system on Sunday or Monday, but this low will likely form too far to the north to become a tropical storm. The GFS model has been predicting a tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa may develop next week, but has not been consistent with the timing or location of the development.
In the Western Pacific, Super Typhoon Sanba is an impressive top-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, and is headed north-northwest towards a possible landfall in Korea early next week.
Given the importance of the new world record all-time high temperature, I'll leave this post up until Saturday afternoon, when I'll post an update on the tropics.
Jeff Masters
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FLORIDA.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT...
ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL BEGIN LATER THIS MORNING ACROSS INLAND
LOCATIONS AND MOVE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON...INCREASING TO
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH NUMEROUS STORMS ALONG THE COAST
FROM TAMPA TO FORT MYERS. THESE CONTINUE MOVING WEST OUT OVER THE
GULF AND DIMINISH TONIGHT. THE GREATEST THREATS WILL BE STRONG
WINDS.. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY BUT BRIEF
RAINFALL WITH MINOR FLOODING POSSIBLE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT...
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE AS A
COOL FRONT MOVES INTO THE STATE AND STALLS ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA
MID-WEEK. THIS FRONT WEAKENS IN PLACE BY FRIDAY. THE PRIMARY
HAZARDS WILL BE STRONG WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL RESULTING IN MINOR FLOODING.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY.
$$
yep another wet week ahead
I'm looking at that, too. GFS forecast a couple of days ago that Nadine would split the trough and send this blob up towards Cape Breton Island. Had it down to 1004 mb. It's got some spin to it, but the water's not warm enough for a TC. Sub-TC, maybe.
It's public so if you are a non-Facebook person like me, just hit the "close" button when the Facebook pop up tries to get you to join.
Time 00:00
Temperature: 26.4C
Precipitation: 1.5mm
Wind Direction: NE
Wind Speed: 17.9m/s
Humidity: 87%
Pressure: 989.0hPa
I will be gone at the UoM game for awhile so bye everyone.
could be 92l before reaching the islands ??
Not bad considering it was not going to be that high as the experts predicted a near normal season and EPAC was going to get over 100 units but is at 70.
1:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, Japan time: Latest forecast wind timeliine from Kadena Air Base's 18th Wing Weather Flight. Expect upgrade to Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-E around 2 a.m. or thereabouts, depending on wind speeds. Closest point of approach 14 miles east at 6 a.m.
-- Sustained 35-mph winds or greater, occurring now.
-- Sustained 40-mph winds or greater, occuring now.
-- Sustained 58-mph winds or greater, occuring now.
-- Maximum 127-mph sustained winds, 155-mph gusts, 4 a.m. Sunday.
-- Winds receding below 58 mph, 11 a.m. Sunday.
-- Winds receding below 40 mph, 2 p.m. Sunday.
-- Winds receding below 35 mph, 6 p.m. Sunday.
1145 AM EDT SAT 15 SEPTEMBER 2012
SUBJECT: TROPICAL CYCLONE PLAN OF THE DAY (TCPOD)
VALID 16/1100Z TO 17/1100Z SEPTEMBER 2012
TCPOD NUMBER.....12-119
I. ATLANTIC REQUIREMENTS
1. NEGATIVE RECONNAISSANCE REQUIREMENTS.
2. OUTLOOK FOR SUCCEEDING DAY: POSSIBLE LOW-LEVEL INVEST FOR 17/1800Z IN EASTERN CARIBBEAN NEAR 14.5N 64.0W.
12z GFS bringing Nadine back to the west towards end of the run
thanks maybe will be 92l after all heading west maybe a bump up to 30% on the next two imo
Shows that the NHC's getting excited about this disturbance.
Going for Invest at 2.
That is not what we heard... :)
agree interested to see the models on this one may bring it into the gom then .....
Good news, as the rainy season is about to come to an end and despite the wet summer, all it has taken recently is a few sunny days for the grass and other vegetation to start drying out. I grow a TON of plants (palms, orchids, etc.), so I am more sensitive to this aspect of the local climate than most.
The recent rainfall we have received has not been the traditional diurnal sea-breeze driven rainy season type. Rather it has been from showers/storms from easterly flow, old fronts and weak low pressure systems.
What are the maximum sustained winds of Sanba?
The SW Caribbean yes but the GOM doesn't look too promising as troughs will be ushering in cold fronts.
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