2010 Northern Hemisphere summer
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer included severe heat wave
s that impacted most of the United States, Kazakhstan
, Mongolia
, China, Hong Kong
, North Africa and the European continent as a whole, along with parts of Canada
, Russia
, Indochina
, South Korea
and Japan
during May, June, July and August 2010.
The heat wave during the summer of 2010 was at its worst in June over the eastern United States
, Middle East, Eastern Europe and European Russia, and over Northeastern China and southeastern Russia. June 2010 marked the fourth consecutive warmest month on record globally, at 0.66 °C (1.22 °F) above average, while the period April–June was the warmest ever recorded for land areas in the Northern Hemisphere
, at 1.25 °C (2.25 °F) above average. The previous record for the global average temperature in June was set in 2005 at 0.66 °C (1.19 °F), and the previous warm record for April–June over Northern Hemisphere land areas was 1.16 °C (2.09 °F), set in 2007. The weather caused forest fires in China, where three in a team of 300 died fighting a fire that broke out in the Binchuan County of Dali
, as Yunnan suffered the worst drought in 60 years by February 17. A major drought was reported across the Sahel
as early as January. In August, a section of the Petermann Glacier
tongue connecting northern Greenland
, the Nares Strait
and the Arctic Ocean
broke off, the biggest ice shelf in the Arctic to detach in 48 years.
The World Meteorological Organization
stated that the heat waves, droughts and flooding events fit with predictions
based on global warming
for the 21st century, include those based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
's 2007 4th Assessment Report
although still no specific weather events can be linked directly to climate change. However, some climatologists argue that these weather events almost definitely would not have happened if the atmospheric carbon dioxide was at pre-industrial levels.
winds blew in from the Sahara
across the Balkans
and in to both Poland
and Ukraine
the 10th of June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C for the next 5 days, followed by heavy winds, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
The period between June 13 and 19 saw a low pressure zone move south eastwards taking a shallow pool of cooler air south eastwards across from the North Atlantic in to Ireland
, Wales
and most of England
.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
and the Balkans
, apart from those in Romania
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
and the UK on June 30.
On July 2, Brussels
saw its hottest day since 1976. France, Germany and the Spanish resort Benidorm
have record temperatures. Several heavy thunderstorms hit the Low Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy sleet
in some places.
On July 3, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
, Krasnodar Krai
, and the cities of Copenhagen
, Bucharest
and Budapest
, killing a Romanian
man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
On July 6, 3 low pressure areas moved towards and settled near the Black Sea
after a week a high pressure
in the region’s jet stream
far northward in its trek through Europe. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
's GFS
numerical model predicted the same weather
for the following week.
A meteorological synoptic pressure corridor ran from Germany and Poland east and northeast to western and north western Russia causing temperatures that were 4 °C, 8 °C and in one case 10 °C above the seasonal norm. Cities from Berlin
and Warsaw
to Kiev
, Minsk
, Moscow
and St. Petersburg may well reach the 33 °C to 35 °C range.
Berlin and Warsaw recorded temperatures of 33 °C, while highs of nearly 34 °C in Moscow broke records. Earlier in June, temperatures in Minsk hit 30 °C, while temperatures as high as 34 °C were observed in Kiev.
By July 8, a major heat wave
hit most of Europe
, European Russia
and North America
.
Both the French
and Belgian
authorities were on alert to respond to possible incidences of heat-related illnesses following the death of a Frenchman in the north of the country due to heat exhaustion. Brussels
saw its next hottest day since 1976, while Portugal
and Germany
experienced record high temperatures.
Austria
’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics
(ZAMG) issued public safety warnings on the 8th as it predicted temperatures as high as 35 °C (95 °F) by the weekend.
The centre expected similar conditions continuing into the beginning of next week, where it would end in a heavy Alpine
downpour.
The Swiss Meteorological Office reported that a record 34.8C was set in Basel
and warned of both forest fires in the persistently drought
-hit southern canton of Valais
. The Swiss Health Office offered the public safety advice. The ozone
level rose badly and was more than twice the permitted level at 257 microgrammes per cubic metre in Lugano
on Friday, and things were in a generally bad condition across the Swiss Alps
as a whole. Extreme heat and ozone levels were also harming tourists at the Gotthard Road Tunnel
on the 8th and 9th.
The Swiss Ornithological Institute, based in Sempach
, said young swifts were stifling to death and others were jumping out before they could fly properly, as temperatures reached 50 °C (122 °F) in their under the roof nests. Most of them lived at the institute care home.
A heavy rain
y thunderstorm
hit Zürich
on the 10th and the Swiss-French border. They also threatened to close the Avoriaz
stage of the Tour de France
cycle race.
The UK declared a heat wave, set at Met Office
Level 2/4, for the period 9–16 July 2010 for South East England and East Anglia
. This was after temperatures reached 31 °C (87.8 °F) in London
and night-time temperatures leveled around 21 °C (69.8 °F).
The UK recorded its highest temperature of the year, 31.7 °C (89.1 °F), in Gravesend, Kent
, as the British Health Protection Agency
gave out health advice and claimed there had been "several hundred" more deaths than normal over the previous two weeks and some appeared to be linked to the heat on the 11th.
July 11 and 12 saw heatstroke make several people ill throughout the Iberian Peninsula
, European Russia
, Belarus
, eastern Poland
and Ukraine
.
The heat wave that left Morocco
for the Iberian Peninsula
on the 11th was attributed to the regional hot air currents that departed from the Sahara
in Northern Africa at about 1,000 meters in altitude
, which facilitated a movement in the hot air towards the Balkans
and Ukraine
via the Straits of Gibraltar, Spain
and Italy
.
On July the 11th, temperatures skyrocketed in Vienna
, Berlin
, Munich
, Amsterdam
, Madrid
, Lisbon
, Zurich
and Bucharest
. More heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
Forty passengers were hospitalised with dehydration in Germany
when 3 ICE
trains’ air conditioning
system broke down in temperatures approaching 40 °C on the 11th. One thousand luckier passengers switched trains. Deutsche Bahn
apologized for its ICE trains breaking down.
Hartmut Buyken, chairman of passenger association Pro-Bahn, told radio station hr-INFO
that the trains were ruined by cost cutting measures, and weren't selling as well in international markets as the French TGV
trains.
On the 12th, Portugal
, Spain
, Germany
, Great Britain
, Belgium
, France
, and the Czech Republic
all suffered the hottest temperatures of the year, and the heat wave was most likely to continue over the weekend, according to German meteorologists.
Most of Germany, including Berlin
, recorded temperatures of 38 °C (100.4 °F) in some places. On the popular North Sea island of Helgoland, the temperature was only 20.5 degrees. In Berlin, the highest temperature was recorded at 38.9 °C (102 °F) as 3 more non-air conditioned local passengers trains had to be evacuated due to overheating of the interior passenger compartments, leading to passengers getting heat stroke, Deutsche Welle
reported. Hans-Dieter Muehlenberg, chief of a local rescue squad in Berlin told the German news agency
DAPD he had found the temperature in a local train had reached 50 °C (122 °F) and that nine people had to be hospitalized for dehydration. Later on, official reports from the rescue squad denied that 9 people reported dead had died and that the air conditioning systems fail to cool the trains in temperatures over 32 °C (89.6 °F). Deutsche Bahn paid 500 Euros for the heat victims without a doctors note. According to the German Meteorological Service (DWD), the soaring temperatures were set to last for a week.
Belgian authorities were worried about water shortages as a result of both the hot weather and lack of rain. The water authorities in the eastern town of Bullange warned that several water sources have dried up. The Belgian interior ministry said that three other communes in the southeast of the country have also appealed for emergency water supplies.
The Czech Republic exceeded 37.8 °C (100 °F) for the third day running, as doctor
s in the Czech Republic
issued safety advice according to the Voice of Russia
. High temperatures were also occurring in parts of Slovakia
and around the Black Sea
.
Just over 30,000 deaths also occurred in 2003, when another heat wave hit Europe.
The heat wave begins to end as heavy rain hits the Swansea
-Port Talbot
region of Wales
, Devon
, central Ireland
and parts of eastern France
.
Both Alpine
and North Sea
thunderstorms sweep across southeast and northwest Germany
respectively. Heavy rainfall is also reported in parts of the Netherlands
, Ireland
, Normandy
and the English Midlands
on the 13th. Both melting glacier
s and heavy rain
in the Alps
caused avalanches and flash floods in Switzerland. A nationwide near-record temperature of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) was recorded in parts of Sion
in Valais
Canton, south west Switzerland
on the 13th.
Thunderstorms hit the English Midlands
, Oxfordshire
, Ireland
, Northern Ireland
and parts of the Swiss Alps
. The heat wave ended in the British Isles
and Northwest Europe on the 14th.
16 July saw the heat wave peak in intensity throughout Italy
, the Vatican
, San Marino
and Malta
. The Civil Protection Board issued a heat warning for the 16th and 17th. The cities of Bolzano, Brescia
, Florence
, Genoa
, Milan
, Perugia
, Rome
, Turin
, Trieste
, Venice
, Campobasso
, Civitavecchia
, Frosinone
, Latina
, Messina, Rieti
, Verona
and Viterbo
. are at the maximum level 3 heat alert, and that on the 17th 3 cities in South Tyrol
(which has the highest temperatures for 90 years) will also be affected. The Health Minister
Ferruccio Fazio told the Health and Social Services of the regions, General Practitioners (MMG) and local Prefects to take emergency measures. Foggia
’s town council gave free meals to those over age 65 due to temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and Rome
had issued over 200,000 bottles water to its people over three days.
Heavy storms hit Vienna
on July 16 and 17, ending the week long heat wave in Austria
.
New heat record of Finland
was recorded at Joensuu
on 29 July when temperature rose to 37.2 °C (99 °F).
as exceptionally strong jet stream
winds blew in from the Sahara
across the Balkans
and in to both Poland
and Ukraine
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the northwest of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
, Badajoz
, Spain
.
Two Spaniards died of heat stroke as temperature hovered around 33 °C-35 °C in central Spain on July 9. One victim was in Central Spain and the other was in Sevilla. The woman from Sevilla had been admitted to the local Virgen Macarena Hospital said the woman had also had multi-organ failure.
On July the 11th, temperatures skyrocketed in Vienna
, Berlin
, Munich
, Amsterdam
, Madrid
, Lisbon
, Zurich
and Bucharest
. More heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places. Temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula
climbed to an average of 43 °C as Spain witnessed temperatures up to 44 °C as the three-week-old heat wave continued; Madrid
's temperatures climbed to 41 °C (105.8 °F).
On the 12th, Portugal
, Spain
, Germany
, Great Britain
, Belgium
, France
, and the Czech Republic
all suffered the hottest temperatures of the year, and the heat wave was most likely to continue over the weekend, according to German meteorologists.
Spain
suffered three deaths, including that of an 80-year-old man. The national meteorological agency, Aemet, warned of exceptionally warm central and southern Spain, with temperatures over the next few days reaching 39 °C in some areas.
More than 1,200 fire-fighters fought 25 forest fires in northern Portugal
on July 24
Temperatures of up to 40 °C (104 °F) hit the Portuguese town at Pataias on the 27th.
Both Rebordelo, Santa Maria da Freira, Aveiro, Braga
, Sobradelo da Goma, Povoa de Lanhoso
, Oporto, Viana do Castelo, Coimbra
, Viseu
, Leiria
, Albergaria-a-Velha
and Oliveira de Azemeis
were all ablaze. The A1 motorway connecting Lisbon
with Oporto was closed due to low visibility caused by the smoke on the 27th. The Portuguese Army dispatched about 150 soldiers to fire-affected towns.
Two Italian water bomber planes were loaned to Portugal through the European Union’s solidarity mechanism on July 28. Spain
also provided its neighbours with water bomber aircraft, but Portugal
requested further help from the EU and Spain. France
readied a plain on the French island of Corsica
, just in case things got any worse in Portugal.
as exceptionally strong jet stream
winds blew in from the Sahara
across the Balkans
and in to both Poland
and Ukraine
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30C for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
and the Balkans
, apart from those in Romania
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
and the UK on June 30.
In mid June, Eastern Europe
experienced very warm conditions, whilst Central Europe
was being flooded. Ruse, Bulgaria hit 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) on the 13th making it the warmest spot in Europe
. Other records broken on the 13th includes Vidin
, Bulgaria at 35.8 °C (96.4 °F), Sandanski
, Bulgaria hitting 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), Lovech
and Pazardzhik
, Bulgaria at 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) as well as the capital, Sofia
, hitting 33.3 °C (91.9 °F). The heat comes from the Sahara desert and is not associated with rain. This helped the situation with high water levels in that part of the continent.
On the 14th, several cities were once again above the 35 °C (95 °F) mark even thought they did not break records. The only cities in Bulgaria breaking records were Musala
, peak hitting 15.2 °C (59.4 °F), and Elhovo
, hitting 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).
On the 15th, Ruse, Bulgaria peaked at 37.2 °C (99 °F). Although it was not a record, this was the highest temperature recorded in the country. Five Bulgarian cities broke high temperature records that day.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
and the Balkans
, apart from those in Romania
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
and the UK on June 30.
On July 3, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
, Krasnodar Krai
, and the cities of Copenhagen
, Bucharest
and Budapest
, killing a Romanian man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
Heavy rain fell in Podgorica
, Bucharest
and parts of eastern Serbia
on July 16.
Both the 16th and 17th saw Sandansk's thermometer hit 37.2 °C (99 °F). This temperature value was approaching the national record of 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) from 2007. The National Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (NIMH) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
(BAS) were concerned with the changing temperature patterns. On July 17, Bulgaria recorded temperatures in excess of 37C° and 8 young people drowned swimming and bathing in various lakes.
between August 1 and 3. A 3 day wildfire consumed about 150 hectares of forest in Georgia's central region is now under control according to both the Environment Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
.
witnessed a heavy spike in temperatures and a Kazakh farmer died of heat stroke
on the 11th.
The abnormal heat wave was also experienced in Russia, causing fires throughout the country, the worst drought in nearly 40 years, and the deaths of at least 9 million hectares of crop. According to head of Rosgidromet state weather agency Alexander Frolov, there was no such heat during the last 1000 years. The highest temperature ever recorded in Russia was 44 °C (111.2 °F), set on 11 July, in Yashkul, Kalmykia
, beating the previous record of 43.8 °C (110.8 °F) set on 6 August 1940, also in Kalmykia.
On 25 June a temperature record was set in the Asian portion of Russia, at Belogorsk
, at a reading of 42.3 °C (108.1 °F). The previous record in the Asian portion was 41.7 °C (107.1 °F) set at Aksha on 21 July 2004.
A heat wave started in Moscow
on the 27 June, as temperatures reached 33.1 °C (91.6 °F), and stayed around 30 °C for the rest of the week. It also caused temperatures to rise noticeably in Yakutia, the Siberia
n Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range
and the Volga Federal District
.
On 28 June Kvas
sales boomed in Russia.
On 30 June, the heat in Yakutia reached the temperature of 35.3 °C, as both the Siberian Federal District
and Ural Federal District began to overheat.
By the end of June, 1,244 people had drowned in Russia after swimming, often while drunk. By comparison, close to 3,000 Russians drowned during the entire summer of 2009.
On 3 July, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
, Krasnodar Krai
, and the cities of Copenhagen
, Bucharest
and Budapest
, killing a Romanian man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
On 5 July, the Russia
n emergency ministry confirmed that almost 300 overheating people had drowned swimming in various lake
s, canal
s and river
s during the heat wave. In one case at least 63 people died in one day alone. An emergency ministry spokesman told the Ria Novosti news agency that 285 people had died in Russia's waterways. The 285 deaths occurred mainly due to the fact that they had swum in dangerous locations, they were ill-prepared and/or were dangerously drunk. A Bulgaria
n tourist also fell ill with sun stroke in Ryazan
. Moscow was hit by a minor cholera
outbreak on 5 July.
Highs of nearly 34 °C (93.2 °F) in Moscow broke records. Earlier in June, Minsk hit 30 °C (86 °F) and Kiev
's temperature soared to 34 °C (93.2 °F). Saint Petersburg, however, has yet to see the 30-degree mark.
Temperatures hit a record-breaking highs of 37 °C in several regions in the Central Federal District
on 5 July. In addition, the temperatures were becoming slightly hotter than usual throughout the Siberian Federal District
. The official record temperature for European Russia was set at 43.8 °C on 6 August 1940. The Siberian record was set at 35.3 °C in the Yakutia, which was also seeing its provincial temperature rise.
Russia's weather forecasts said it was the most prolonged heat wave since 1981. Moscow's City Hall sent out water tankers to put water on the roads to prevent the tarmac from melting.
Moscow
's temperature was 31 °C (87.8 °F) on 7 July. At the same time the heat in Yakutia recorded 35.3 °C. A record-breaking heat wave in late June saw temperatures reach 37 °C in several central Russian regions, sparking forest fires and causing heat stroke in many people in various parts of the Central Federal District
and Ural Federal District.
On the 11 and 12 July, many people across Europe fell ill due to heat stroke caused by the very high temperatures reached on these two days.
A total of 14 regions suddenly overheated on the 11 to 13 July, including Tatarstan
, Bashkortostan
, Orenburg
, Saratov
, Samara Oblast
as the heat cooked the partly drought hit Volga Federal District
. Nineteen of Russia's 83 regions declared a state of emergency after crop failure caused by the heat-induced drought. Electricity demand went up by as much as 6% in some Oblasts, leading to power supply problems. Sales of ice-cream also went up by 10—15%. The lead into the summer heat wave in 2010 began as an abnormally warm autumn and spring in 2009—2010. World scientists consider the heatwave abnormal by today's standards, but warn that it will soon become the norm throughout summertime.
The 3 week heat wave hit near-record temperatures in Russia
and Ukraine
on the 13 July; with near-record temperatures of 40 °C in Saint Petersburg
, Moscow
and Kaliningrad
.
On 13 July the Russian Bird conservation
Union (RBCU) said that the heat was killing most of European Russia
’s birds, especially those in Moscow. Meteorologists considered it likely that temperatures would reach up to 36 °C (96.8 °F) later in the week.
On 14 July, central Russia saw record temperatures and was predicted to face 38 degrees Celsius by the weekend, higher than the all-time temperature record of 36.6 °C, set in August 1920. Owing to the drought, the government considered introducing a state of emergency in another two regions of the Russian Federation. Both Volga Federal District
and Southern Federal District
reported large rises in temperature. The City of Yakutsk
, with temperatures set to stick at 35 degrees for the next few days. Dagestan was also reported to be suffering a heat wave that day. 5 Italians, a Latvian and a Russian also drowned in the lower reaches of the Volga, near Volgograd
, all of whom were apparently drunk. As water levels in the River Volga have dropped Volga Federal District
's drought
swimming has become more risky due to hidden objects being closer to the surface and increased flying insect activity.
In the first half of July, average temperatures in Moscow were 6.2 °C above average. The hottest July on record in the city, in 1938, was an average of 5.3 °C higher than average.
Approximately 400 people had drowned by mid-July.
1,200 Russians had died June 1 and July 15 due to swimming whilst drunk. Six children and a Ukrainian tourist also drowned, whilst sober, in the Sea of Azov
. Vadim Seryogin, from the Russian Emergency Ministry said that 95% of the drowned had been consuming alcohol
. 9,000,000 hectares of farmland
were destroyed along with 20% of the grain
harvest in what appears to be the worst drought in 130 years.
On July 29 Moscow experienced its hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 39C. The Deputy director of the Strategic Culture Foundation, Andrei Areshev, wrote that he feared Russia and its allies were the victim of Western
metrological weapons and weather modification techniques.
In St. Petersburg, various temperature records were broken in July, and the maximum yearly temperature record was set on Wednesday, 28 July, when the temperature was 35.3 degrees Celsius (95.5 degrees Fahrenheit). The maximum temperature in Moscow was set on 29 July, when it was 38.2 degrees Celsius (100.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
On July 30, wildfires killed 25 people, leaving more than 2000 people homeless. The fires were still burning on the 1st of August.
Likely in part due to the heat wave and smoke from forest fires, Moscow recorded 14,340 total deaths in the month of July, 4,824 more than the number recorded in July 2009. Pollution levels in the city were five times higher than normal.
On 1 August, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia led a holy mass to remember the 28 who had died since July 30. The forest fires came as Russia was experiencing its worst drought in just over 100 years. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said 774 forest fires had been registered, 6 new fires were rumoured to have started near Moscow
, and a regional forestry department in the Central Federal District
reported that the fires now cover approximately 100,000 hectares. Some 4,000 soldiers were called in to help fight both the 6 rumoured and several known fires in the Moscow Oblast
. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and Vladimir Putin
organised an emergency meeting for August 2, with the governors of the various regions in the Central and Southern Federal District
devastated by the fires. The grain harvest in these areas was also destroyed.
August 2 saw hundreds of wildfires threatening more than 200 villages around both Voronezh
, Moscow
, Nizhny Novgorod
and in Mordovia
the chief of National Centre for Crisis Situations, General Vladimir Stepanov said.
The Volga Federal District
saw 625 homes destroyed and Voronezh saw over 200 destroyed and more than 1,000 in both places evacuated," general Stepanov said as firemen, troops and local farmers struggled to drive the fires back from the cities of the Volga Federal District
.
as exceptionally strong jet stream
winds blew in from the Sahara
across the Balkans
and in to both Poland
and Ukraine
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
12 June saw the temperature of 34 °C (93.2 °F) in Kiev registered though the city was previously forecasted to hit the 37 °C (98.6 °F) mark, breaking the previous Kiev record that had stood since 1946 (33.3 °C (91.9 °F)). Ukrainian Galicia and the Crimea
peninsula also saw temperatures rise sharply.
On 6 July, 3 low pressure areas moved towards and settled near the Black Sea
after a week a high pressure
in the region’s jet stream
far northward in its trek through Europe. The Accuweather.com GFS
numerical model predicts the same weather
for the next week and an even worse heat wave for the week
of the Accuweather.com forecast Earlier in June, Minsk hit 30 C and Kiev temperature soared to 34 °C (93.2 °F). Saint Petersburg had yet to see the 30 °C (86 °F) mark.
Heavy storms in Kiev
at the end on 17 July. Temperatures of 30–35 °C (86–95 F) were registered in almost whole Ukraine in July, while in the east and in the northeast they reached 36–39 °C (96.8–102.2 F).
It was revealed on 19 July that 800 Ukrainians, including 115 kids, had drowned since 1 May.
Temperatures began rising again in Ukraine in early August, with 35–40 °C (95–104 F) being recorded at many central and eastern locations, including the city of Kiev, in the first week. Wildfires broke out throughout Ukraine late July/early August. According to Ukrainian authorities these fires where not as severe as the 2010 Russian wildfires
. A total of 522 fires, including 122 in residential areas were registered on August 11. No wildfires where recorded nearby Chernobyl
during the heatwave.
On August 6 the Ukrainian Weather Forecasting Center forecasted the heatwave would continue at least until August 18 and probably till the end of August and that extremely high fire risks would remain in Ukraine, apart from western Ukraine
. Indeed, a major cool-down did take place on the 18th, with showers and thunderstorms ushering in cooler temperatures (mid-20s°C (mid/late-70s°F)).
, Turkey and along the Turkish/Armenia
n border on the 15th of July.
, Sagaing Division
. The previous hottest temperature record in the country was set in May 1980 at 46.0 °C in Magwe
, Magwe Division.
.
Prior to the droughts in Yunnan and Guizhou, the China Meteorological Administration
recorded temperatures averaging 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer than normal over six months and half the average precipitation for the past year across the region, both unprecedented since at least the 1950s. By March 22, 2010, about 51 million people faced water shortages in a number of provinces. This drought would soon be replaced by record breaking thunderstorms in late June.
June 27–29 saw the heaviest rain fall in Luolou township in the Chinese Guangxi
Zhuang autonomous region in 300 years. 6,673 people were affected; as the town was cut off, schools closed and people travelled by boat.
The heat wave hit China's Liaoning Province and Hubei Province on the 2nd.
The heat wave hit Wuhan
city, Hubei Province, Qionghai
, Hainan Province, Nanning
city, Guangxi
Zhuang autonomous region, on July 3. As the hot weather swept most of northern, central and southern China some regions recorded temperatures soaring up to 39 °C (102.2 °F).
July 5 saw temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) scorch 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a yellow heat
alert to the provinces of Shandong
, Anhui
, Jiangsu
, Gansu
, Beijing
, Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, Shaanxi
and Shanxi
Province
on July the 5th. About 400000 square kilometre, or 37.8%, of Inner Mongolia were hit by drought.
Xingqing Lake, in the Xingqing Palace Park, turned crimson; park spokesman Liang Zibin blamed a mixture of pollutant
s and high heat for the aquatic
phenomena. There were serious problems with green algae in the river surrounding the ancient city of Xi'an
. Lakes and rivers turned green and red as a result of algae blooms flourishing in the hot weather, according to the Xinhua news agency
.
July 5 saw Beijing
set a new highest temperature record at 40.3 °C (104.5 °F). Near record heat waves hit both Gansu Province, Guizho and Inner Mongolian on the 5th.
A yellow-level heat alert was issued in the provinces of Guangdong
and Hainan
as well as Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, due to predicted temperatures of 35 to 38 °C (95 to 100.4 F) on July 5.
Bajin, Macau
and Hong Kong
witnessed a heavy spike in temperatures on the 7th.
Temperatures in Sichuan
and Quzhou
rose sharply to 35 °C (95 °F) as the average heat wave
temperature 13 of the China's provinces and regions reached over 35 °C. A record temperature of 41.8 °C (107.2 °F) hit Beijing on the 7th and were predicted to reach 40 °C (104 °F) on the 8th.
On 7 July, five people died and eight were missing after torrential rains caused flash floods in Huangyuan County
, in China's overheating Qinghai Province, according to local government sources. Rumours that a homeless old man had also been crushed to death in a partly collapsed house were denied by rescue workers.
July 8 saw the highest temperature and heavy rain storms across the People's Republic of China
so far. China's National Meteorological Centre
(NMC) predicted that temperatures would fall by the 9th.
Local authorities and the NMC also issued an orange flood alert in central and southwest China were put on flood alert and the worst floods for 40 years hit the regions.
Heavy rains hit Hubei
and Anhui
provinces on July the 8th and caused a 1 meter deep flood which killed 1 person and made 500,000 homeless. The storm moved southeastward over the next day, helping to dissipate the local heat wave.
Forest fires hit parts of Qinghai Province on July 20.
There was a forest fire in the Greater Hinggan
Mountains of Heilongjiang Province according to Sun Xiguo, director of the fire control
headquarters of Greater Hinggan Mountains. More than 7,000 people in Heilongjiang and another 3,000 from Inner Mongolia battled the fires as the province
’s ground temperature had been as high as 50 °C (122 °F) on August 4.
and much of South Asia
. Temperatures of 53.7C (128.66 F) have been recorded in Pakistan. Said to be the harshest summer since 1800, the heatwave has killed hundreds of people due to heat exhaustion and food poisoning
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA)'s confirmed report, major Japanese cities on average, were at their highest level of hot temperatures, in August 2010. Fukuoka, Kyushu
, Fukuyama, Hiroshima
, Hirakata, Osaka
, Hiroshima
, Kyoto
, Okayama, Osaka
and Takamatsu, Shikoku
are all above 30 °C (86 °F) average temperatures in August this year. And low temperatures in 25 °C (77 °F) day are: 50 days in Tokyo
, 49 days in Osaka, 48 days in Takamatsu, 47 days in Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Nagoya, 43 days in Kanazawa
, 40 days in Yonago and 38 days in Niigata, all during same period. Following the above, 35 °C (95 °F) high temperature days are: 37 days in Kumagaya, Saitama
, 33 days in Kyoto and Isesaki, Gunma
, 31 days in Tokai, Aichi
, 29 days in Tottori
, Kofu, Yamanashi
and Nishiwaki, Hyogo
, 25 days in Osaka and 24 days in Hiroshima, all during same period. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan
's confirmed report, 1,718 people died from hyperthrmia by heat stroke, from July to September.
on June 23 with the temperature reaching as much as 41 °C (105.8 °F) in some places. The drought
and heat wave combined to make wild fires inevitable. At the time, 73 wild fires had already been registered in the country, with four more erupting on July 4.
The Khentii Mountains
were hit hard, with Khentii Province overheating and the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area
facing a possible drought on the 5th.
Officials clamed the forest fires of the 6th were caused by the resent heat wave and drought.
The fires killed 3 people, injured 6, killed 936 head of livestock
and caused about 910 million Tugrig (U.S. $670,000) in damages, officials said. About 984 fire-fighters, 164 border guards and 2,022 locals fought the bushfires.
The fires started in Selenge Province
and then Tov Province
on the 6th, but had spread to another 12 aimags (provinces) by the 7th, according to the head of the fire department of the general emergency management
authority. The emergency authority said they wanted people to stay out of the danger zones unless they were fighting the fires and called upon the public for more volunteer firefighters. July 7 saw even more bush fires in the already burning counties.
Province on June 12, 1919. By May 27, the temperatures higher than 45 °C hit many areas across the country, at least 18 people died in Pakistan.
was hit by a heat wave from June 29 to July 2. Daytime temperatures were between 40C and 35C, while night time temperatures were 30C. Droughts and power cut were an imminent threat in the north of Vietnam.
and West Azarbaijan Province
on the July 14th.
was set in Iraq on June 14, 2010, at 52.0 °C (125.6 °F) in Basra
. The previous record was 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) on August 8, 1937 in Ash Shu'ayba.
On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Iraq
.
, near the Dead Sea
, on August 7 was 51.4 °C (124.5 °F). The temperature was the hottest measured in 68 years. The summer lasted till December. On December a severe storm hit the Israeli shore, with waves rising up to 14 meters in height and 70-220 mm fell in 3 days as well as 1-2 meters of snow on Mount Hermon
. After the storm there were 2 weeks of drought with no rain at all.
Meanwhile, unofficial break of previous records, were reported in Tela' Al-Ai/Sweileh area, according to "JordanWeather" for Meteorological consultancies, where the temperature was reported to be 40.3 °C on 1 August. Also unofficial break of previous records, was reported in Anjara/Ajloun governorate where temperature hit the 39.1 °C point on the 7th of August.
By 20 August, another intense heat wave arrived, it broke the previously mentioned record in Marka airport, and reached 43.5 °C. The temperature in Tela' Al-Ali/Sweileh, Madaba, Anjara/Ajloun, reached 42.3 °C.
On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Kuwait
.
in Oman
's northern, coastal mountain range on July the 14th.
in June, setting an unofficial all-time temperature record on June 22, at 52 °C (125.6 °F), breaking the previous record of 51.7 °C (125.1 °F). The heat wave also caused sand storms to occur, causing a blackout after eight power plants in the country were knocked offline.
, Niger
took in refugees from Tillabéri Department
12 days before, after they turned up hoping the city would help them. The towns of Kongomé, Zinder
, Tanout
and Dalli were the worst hit by the drought by May 3.
Dehydration
was reported to have killed 1 person in Niger, while others in the region were at risk of water shortages on June 1.
A new heat wave hit Niger on June 21, causing a increased area of drought; causing crop failure and the threat o widespread famine
.
In Chad, the temperature reached 47.6 °C (117.7 °F) on June 22 in Faya-Largeau
, breaking a record set in 1961. Sudan reached 49.7 °C (121.5 °F) in Dongola
the same day, breaking a record set in 1987. Niger broke its own record set in 1998 the next day at 48.2 °C (118.8 °F) in Bilma
.
Three years of famine and more recent sandstorms devastated Niger on July 14, prompting the new military junta
to appeal for international food aid.
On July 24, the British Red Cross
flew its logistics teams to Niger to help the army and local officials with transportation.
The relief effort has already been made possible by the response to the Red Cross's West Africa Crisis Appeal which aims to raise £500,000. According to UN agencies, 200,000 children need treatment for malnutrition in Niger alone, as Oxfam
puts out an £7,000,000 appeal to cover both the Chad
and Niger
.
France
sends food and cash aid to Mali
on July the 25
On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Chad
and Niger
, and about 20 had reportedly died in northern Niger of dehydration on July the 27th.
On August 1, Gadabeji, Niger
suffered 35 °C (95 °F) heat and drought. The exceptionally heavy rainfall of 2009 destroyed crops and devastated the year's harvest. The resulting fall in production in staples like maize, millet and sorghum affected much of West Africa's fragile Sahel, including neighbouring Chad
and northern Nigeria
.
August 3 had Burkina Faso
hit by a drought, as 4,500,000 Burkinans and 6,700,000 Nigerans faced starvation.
, the Sénégal River Area, and neighbouring parts of both Senegal
and Mali
faced both a drought and famine.
Seven people died in Ghaidi Magha, Mauritania, near the Malian border on May the 18th.
for the Iberian Peninsula
on July 11 was attributed to the regional hot air currents that depart from the Sahara
desert in Northern Africa at about 1,000 meters in altitude
, which facilitated a movement in the hot air towards the Balkans
and Ukraine
via the Straits of Gibraltar, Spain
and Italy
. Unusually hot weather was also reported in parts of Algeria
on the 11th.
all recorded their hottest all-time temperatures on record on June 22 and June 23, hitting the mid 40s Celsius in places.
the temperature reached 106 °F (41.1 °C) in early July. Power outages in New York and in Southern
Ontario
were reported to have been caused by the heatwave.
June 24 saw a high pressure zone settle between North Carolina
and Bermuda
. A two-day long heat wave hit the more rural parts of Texas
on July 1.
From July 4 to July 9, 2010, the majority of the American East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine
, was gripped in a severe heat wave. Both Philadelphia and New York
, as well as Baltimore
, Washington
, Raleigh
, and Boston
eclipsed 100 °F (37.8 °C). Many records were broken, some of which dated back to the 19th century, including Wilmington, Delaware
's temperature of 103 °F (39.4 °C) on Wednesday, the 7th, which broke the record of 97 °F (36.1 °C) from 1897. Philadelphia and New York
eclipsed 100 °F (37.8 °C) for the first time since 2001. Frederick, Maryland and Newark, New Jersey
, among others, exceeded 100 °F (37.8 °C) for four days in a row.
Meanwhile, various authorities on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard
issued extreme heat alerts, with the temperature being forecast to rise well beyond 30 °C in some areas on the 5th.
The American northeast was badly affected as New York City
saw a record temperature of 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 6, and the heat hit 100.4*F 37.8 °C in Boston
, and to 40.6 °C in Baltimore
on the same day, breaking the standing Baltimore record of 1983.
It was 103 °F (39.4 °C) in New York City on July 7.
New York City
saw temperature as high as 35 °C in some areas and it was predicted to reach 38C the next day. A report released by the Wall Street Journal on July 7 stated that June saw sales rise over the Independence Day
holiday, especially along the East Coast of America. By July 3, retail sales had risen by 3.9% from the year-ago period and 1% over the previous week, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers
and Goldman Sachs
and Johnson Redbook Research also showed a sales gain in the final week of June, citing the hot weather.
Both the American East Coast
and parts of the American Midwest have seen record high temperatures, killing two people on the 8th. Both the authorities in Washington DC, New York City
, Maine
, Ottawa
, Montreal
and Toronto
authorities issued safety advice to its residents.
Several power outages across the United States occurred due to increased demand, and also a transformer fire; lack of air conditioning led to the death of an elderly Philadelphia man and a homeless woman in Detroit. Canadian media outlets also stated that there had been a large increase of people visiting hospital during the heat wave, such as Montfort Hospital
, which reported 158 patients in one day.
The Associated Press
reported that "the hot weather was blamed for the deaths of 89-year-old Edward Pilch in Whitehall, PA, and a 46-year-old woman in Queens." The heat also caused rail disruptions in Washington after the metal track expanded and could not be contained by the dampers.
The BBC stated that electricity providers were "urging consumers to cut back on energy use to relieve the stress on the power system ... in Philadelphia alone, 8,000 people lost power due to increased demand on Tuesday [6th July]" News agencies stated that people had been staying in air-conditioned churches to avoid the heat. Consolidated Edison
sent out dry ice
to customers with no electricity.
The U.S. East Coast and parts of the Midwest saw temperatures reaching up to 38C on the 11th. The electricity grid in New York City
was near collapse as Consolidated Edison
cut electricity to air conditioning units and 20,000 homes and businesses to ease the burden on its failing system, according to The New York Times
. Various utilities urged customers to use less electricity as the aging power grid began to falter under the heat wave that ran from Virginia to Maine via New York. About 375,400 customers in the New York
neighborhoods of Flushing
, Gowanus, Forest Hills
and Brooklyn Heights were victims of limited power outages in New York on the 11th.
For the Midwest became more related to the extreme high humidity, above normal rainfall from thunderstorms across much of Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Illinois in the previous month leading up to the heat wave caused dewpoints to soar, in Newton, Iowa
where temperatures had been in the mid-90s, the dew point reached 88 °F (31.1 °C) on July 14, one of the highest ever recorded in the United States. The heat index reached a staggering 128 °F (53.3 °C) in Newton, Chicago's dewpoint of 83 °F (28.3 °C), matching readings from the infamous 1995 Heat Wave that caused many deaths. Omaha, Des Moines and St. Louis also experienced intolerable humidity levels.
Manitoba
and several states in the Central U.S.
had heavy thunderstorms with a severe tornado hitting Northfield, Minnesota
on July 16. The heat wave ended in most of Canada and was reduced by thunderstorms in much of the United States.
The heat continued through the second half of July but extreme heat was mostly confined to the Southeastern United States
, giving relief to the Northeast and Upper Midwest as it had early in the month. The intense heat build up again occurred over much of Plains states, Upper South and Lower Midwest; temperatures surpassed 40 °C (104 °F) in many locations. By August 3, the temperature in Wichita, Kansas
reached 109 °F (42.8 °C). Washington, DC had temperatures that surpassed 98 °F (36.7 °C) on 11 days during the summer of 2010, reaching a peak of 102 °F (38.9 °C) on July 6 and 7th.
By late July, the morgue in Pima County, Arizona
had become overwhelmed with over 300 bodies; of these, 57 deaths were attributed to immigrants crossing the Mexico – United States border, overwhelmed by the July heat.
The heat wave was absent on the west coast of North America, where an unusually cool summer took place. However, parts of Montana
and parts of California
saw slightly above-average temperatures on July 6. On September 27 Los Angeles
broke its all-time record high recording a tempature of 113 °F (45 °C) in downtown Los Angeles, along with San Diego County, with a new record high temperature of 112 °F (44.4 °C). The Southwestern United States had near high temperatures from September 26 to October 2, and even hotter than that in some regions.
across the Northern Hemisphere stands at:
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
s that impacted most of the United States, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, China, Hong Kong
British Hong Kong
British Hong Kong refers to Hong Kong as a Crown colony and later, a British dependent territory under British administration from 1841 to 1997.- Colonial establishment :...
, North Africa and the European continent as a whole, along with parts of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during May, June, July and August 2010.
The heat wave during the summer of 2010 was at its worst in June over the eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
, Middle East, Eastern Europe and European Russia, and over Northeastern China and southeastern Russia. June 2010 marked the fourth consecutive warmest month on record globally, at 0.66 °C (1.22 °F) above average, while the period April–June was the warmest ever recorded for land areas in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, at 1.25 °C (2.25 °F) above average. The previous record for the global average temperature in June was set in 2005 at 0.66 °C (1.19 °F), and the previous warm record for April–June over Northern Hemisphere land areas was 1.16 °C (2.09 °F), set in 2007. The weather caused forest fires in China, where three in a team of 300 died fighting a fire that broke out in the Binchuan County of Dali
Dali County
Dali County is a county of Weinan, Shaanxi, China.Dali County is a county in Weinan city of Shaanxi Province in China. It covers 1766 square kilometers. The population in 2002 was 690 thousand. Its economy focuses on agriculture, mainly yielding cotton and fruits, such as watermelon. Dali was a...
, as Yunnan suffered the worst drought in 60 years by February 17. A major drought was reported across the Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
as early as January. In August, a section of the Petermann Glacier
Petermann glacier
Petermann Glacier is a large glacier located in North-West Greenland to the east of Nares Strait. It connects the Greenland ice sheet to the Arctic Ocean near 81 degrees north latitude. The tidewater glacier consists of a long and wide floating ice tongue whose thickness changes from about at...
tongue connecting northern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, the Nares Strait
Nares Strait
Nares Strait is a waterway between Ellesmere Island and Greenland that is the northern part of Baffin Bay where it meets the Lincoln Sea. From south to north, the strait includes Smith Sound, Kane Basin, Kennedy Channel, Hall Basin and Robeson Channel...
and the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
broke off, the biggest ice shelf in the Arctic to detach in 48 years.
The World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
stated that the heat waves, droughts and flooding events fit with predictions
Effects of global warming
This article is about the effects of global warming and climate change. The effects, or impacts, of climate change may be physical, ecological, social or economic. Evidence of observed climate change includes the instrumental temperature record, rising sea levels, and decreased snow cover in the...
based on global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
for the 21st century, include those based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific intergovernmental body which provides comprehensive assessments of current scientific, technical and socio-economic information worldwide about the risk of climate change caused by human activity, its potential environmental and...
's 2007 4th Assessment Report
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , is the fourth in a series of reports intended to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects, and options for...
although still no specific weather events can be linked directly to climate change. However, some climatologists argue that these weather events almost definitely would not have happened if the atmospheric carbon dioxide was at pre-industrial levels.
Europe in general
A heat wave hit Eastern Europe as exceptionally strong jet streamJet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
winds blew in from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
across the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in to both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
the 10th of June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C for the next 5 days, followed by heavy winds, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
The period between June 13 and 19 saw a low pressure zone move south eastwards taking a shallow pool of cooler air south eastwards across from the North Atlantic in to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and most of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, apart from those in Romania
2010 Romanian floods
The 2010 Romanian floods were the result of an extreme weather event that struck Romania in late June 2010. Currently, at least 21 people died. The north-east of the country, especially Suceava County was most affected...
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the UK on June 30.
On July 2, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
saw its hottest day since 1976. France, Germany and the Spanish resort Benidorm
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
have record temperatures. Several heavy thunderstorms hit the Low Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy sleet
Ice pellets
Ice pellets are a form of precipitation consisting of small, translucent balls of ice. Ice pellets usually are smaller than hailstones. They often bounce when they hit the ground, and generally do not freeze into a solid mass unless mixed with freezing rain...
in some places.
On July 3, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:...
, Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
, and the cities of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, killing a Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
On July 6, 3 low pressure areas moved towards and settled near the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
after a week a high pressure
High pressure
High pressure in science and engineering is studying the effects of high pressure on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure...
in the region’s jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
far northward in its trek through Europe. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
's GFS
Global Forecast System
The Global Forecast System is a global numerical weather prediction computer model run by NOAA. This mathematical model is run four times a day and produces forecasts up to 16 days in advance, but with decreasing spatial and temporal resolution over time...
numerical model predicted the same weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
for the following week.
A meteorological synoptic pressure corridor ran from Germany and Poland east and northeast to western and north western Russia causing temperatures that were 4 °C, 8 °C and in one case 10 °C above the seasonal norm. Cities from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and St. Petersburg may well reach the 33 °C to 35 °C range.
Berlin and Warsaw recorded temperatures of 33 °C, while highs of nearly 34 °C in Moscow broke records. Earlier in June, temperatures in Minsk hit 30 °C, while temperatures as high as 34 °C were observed in Kiev.
By July 8, a major heat wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
hit most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, European Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Both the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
authorities were on alert to respond to possible incidences of heat-related illnesses following the death of a Frenchman in the north of the country due to heat exhaustion. Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
saw its next hottest day since 1976, while Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
experienced record high temperatures.
Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics
Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics
The Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics is the national meteorological and geophysical service of Austria.It is a subordinate agency of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research...
(ZAMG) issued public safety warnings on the 8th as it predicted temperatures as high as 35 °C (95 °F) by the weekend.
The centre expected similar conditions continuing into the beginning of next week, where it would end in a heavy Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
downpour.
The Swiss Meteorological Office reported that a record 34.8C was set in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and warned of both forest fires in the persistently drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
-hit southern canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
. The Swiss Health Office offered the public safety advice. The ozone
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
level rose badly and was more than twice the permitted level at 257 microgrammes per cubic metre in Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
on Friday, and things were in a generally bad condition across the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
as a whole. Extreme heat and ozone levels were also harming tourists at the Gotthard Road Tunnel
Gotthard Road Tunnel
The St. Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland runs from Göschenen in the Canton of Uri at its northern portal, to Airolo in Ticino to the south, and is just under in length below the St. Gotthard Pass...
on the 8th and 9th.
The Swiss Ornithological Institute, based in Sempach
Sempach
Sempach is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-History:It has retained some traces of its medieval appearance, especially the main gateway, beneath a watch tower, and reached by a bridge over the old moat.About half an hour distant to the north-east, on...
, said young swifts were stifling to death and others were jumping out before they could fly properly, as temperatures reached 50 °C (122 °F) in their under the roof nests. Most of them lived at the institute care home.
A heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
y thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
hit Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
on the 10th and the Swiss-French border. They also threatened to close the Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
stage of the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
cycle race.
The UK declared a heat wave, set at Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
Level 2/4, for the period 9–16 July 2010 for South East England and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. This was after temperatures reached 31 °C (87.8 °F) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and night-time temperatures leveled around 21 °C (69.8 °F).
The UK recorded its highest temperature of the year, 31.7 °C (89.1 °F), in Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, as the British Health Protection Agency
Health Protection Agency
The Health Protection Agency, or, in Welsh, Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd is a statutory corporation. It is an independent UK organisation that was set up by the government in 2003 to protect the public from threats to their health from infectious diseases and environmental hazards...
gave out health advice and claimed there had been "several hundred" more deaths than normal over the previous two weeks and some appeared to be linked to the heat on the 11th.
July 11 and 12 saw heatstroke make several people ill throughout the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, European Russia
European Russia
European Russia refers to the western areas of Russia that lie within Europe, comprising roughly 3,960,000 square kilometres , larger in area than India, and spanning across 40% of Europe. Its eastern border is defined by the Ural Mountains and in the south it is defined by the border with...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, eastern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
The heat wave that left Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
for the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
on the 11th was attributed to the regional hot air currents that departed from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
in Northern Africa at about 1,000 meters in altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
, which facilitated a movement in the hot air towards the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
via the Straits of Gibraltar, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
On July the 11th, temperatures skyrocketed in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. More heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
Forty passengers were hospitalised with dehydration in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
when 3 ICE
Ice Train
Ice Train can mean:* InterCityExpress, a high-speed train* Ice Train, a ring name of former professional wrestler Harold Hoag...
trains’ air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
system broke down in temperatures approaching 40 °C on the 11th. One thousand luckier passengers switched trains. Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
apologized for its ICE trains breaking down.
Hartmut Buyken, chairman of passenger association Pro-Bahn, told radio station hr-INFO
Hessischer Rundfunk
Hessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the German state of Hesse. The main offices of HR are in Frankfurt am Main. HR is a member of the ARD.- Studios :...
that the trains were ruined by cost cutting measures, and weren't selling as well in international markets as the French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
all suffered the hottest temperatures of the year, and the heat wave was most likely to continue over the weekend, according to German meteorologists.
Most of Germany, including Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, recorded temperatures of 38 °C (100.4 °F) in some places. On the popular North Sea island of Helgoland, the temperature was only 20.5 degrees. In Berlin, the highest temperature was recorded at 38.9 °C (102 °F) as 3 more non-air conditioned local passengers trains had to be evacuated due to overheating of the interior passenger compartments, leading to passengers getting heat stroke, Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
reported. Hans-Dieter Muehlenberg, chief of a local rescue squad in Berlin told the German news agency
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
DAPD he had found the temperature in a local train had reached 50 °C (122 °F) and that nine people had to be hospitalized for dehydration. Later on, official reports from the rescue squad denied that 9 people reported dead had died and that the air conditioning systems fail to cool the trains in temperatures over 32 °C (89.6 °F). Deutsche Bahn paid 500 Euros for the heat victims without a doctors note. According to the German Meteorological Service (DWD), the soaring temperatures were set to last for a week.
Belgian authorities were worried about water shortages as a result of both the hot weather and lack of rain. The water authorities in the eastern town of Bullange warned that several water sources have dried up. The Belgian interior ministry said that three other communes in the southeast of the country have also appealed for emergency water supplies.
The Czech Republic exceeded 37.8 °C (100 °F) for the third day running, as doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
issued safety advice according to the Voice of Russia
Voice of Russia
Voice of Russia is the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service owned by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company. Its predecessor Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.-Early years:Radio Moscow...
. High temperatures were also occurring in parts of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and around the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Just over 30,000 deaths also occurred in 2003, when another heat wave hit Europe.
The heat wave begins to end as heavy rain hits the Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
-Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
region of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, central Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and parts of eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Both Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
and North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
thunderstorms sweep across southeast and northwest Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
respectively. Heavy rainfall is also reported in parts of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
on the 13th. Both melting glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and heavy rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
caused avalanches and flash floods in Switzerland. A nationwide near-record temperature of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) was recorded in parts of Sion
Sion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
in Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
Canton, south west Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on the 13th.
Thunderstorms hit the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and parts of the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
. The heat wave ended in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and Northwest Europe on the 14th.
16 July saw the heat wave peak in intensity throughout Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. The Civil Protection Board issued a heat warning for the 16th and 17th. The cities of Bolzano, Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Campobasso
Campobasso
-Main sights:The main attraction of Campobasso is the Castello Monforte, built in 1450 by the local ruler Nicola II Monforte, over Lombard or Norman ruins. The castle has Guelph merlons and stands on a commanding point, where traces of ancient settlements have been found...
, Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse...
, Frosinone
Frosinone
Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the Province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 km south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples Autostrada A1...
, Latina
Latina
Latina is the feminine form of the term Latino.Latina may also refer to:*Province of Latina, a province in Latium , Italy**Latina, Lazio, the capital of the province of Latina**Latina Nuclear Power Plant*Latina , a district of Madrid...
, Messina, Rieti
Rieti
Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...
, Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
and Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
. are at the maximum level 3 heat alert, and that on the 17th 3 cities in South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
(which has the highest temperatures for 90 years) will also be affected. The Health Minister
Health minister
A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services....
Ferruccio Fazio told the Health and Social Services of the regions, General Practitioners (MMG) and local Prefects to take emergency measures. Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
’s town council gave free meals to those over age 65 due to temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
had issued over 200,000 bottles water to its people over three days.
Heavy storms hit Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on July 16 and 17, ending the week long heat wave in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
New heat record of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
was recorded at Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
on 29 July when temperature rose to 37.2 °C (99 °F).
Poland
A heat wave hit Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
as exceptionally strong jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
winds blew in from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
across the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in to both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the northwest of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
The Iberian Peninsula
A Portuguese man also died on the 7th, in Villar del ReyVillar del Rey
Villar del Rey is a Spanish municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 2,540 and an area of 98.9 km².- External links :* *...
, Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Two Spaniards died of heat stroke as temperature hovered around 33 °C-35 °C in central Spain on July 9. One victim was in Central Spain and the other was in Sevilla. The woman from Sevilla had been admitted to the local Virgen Macarena Hospital said the woman had also had multi-organ failure.
On July the 11th, temperatures skyrocketed in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. More heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places. Temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
climbed to an average of 43 °C as Spain witnessed temperatures up to 44 °C as the three-week-old heat wave continued; Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
's temperatures climbed to 41 °C (105.8 °F).
On the 12th, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
all suffered the hottest temperatures of the year, and the heat wave was most likely to continue over the weekend, according to German meteorologists.
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
suffered three deaths, including that of an 80-year-old man. The national meteorological agency, Aemet, warned of exceptionally warm central and southern Spain, with temperatures over the next few days reaching 39 °C in some areas.
More than 1,200 fire-fighters fought 25 forest fires in northern Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
on July 24
Temperatures of up to 40 °C (104 °F) hit the Portuguese town at Pataias on the 27th.
Both Rebordelo, Santa Maria da Freira, Aveiro, Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
, Sobradelo da Goma, Povoa de Lanhoso
Póvoa de Lanhoso
Póvoa de Lanhoso is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 132.5 km² and a total population of 23,657 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 29 parishes, and is located in the district of Braga....
, Oporto, Viana do Castelo, Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, Viseu
Viseu
Viseu is both a city and a municipality in the Dão-Lafões Subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 99,593 , and the city proper has 47,250...
, Leiria
Leiria
Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
, Albergaria-a-Velha
Albergaria-a-Velha
Albergaria-a-Velha Municipality is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 158.82 km² and a total population of 25230 inhabitants, and 19687 electors .-History:...
and Oliveira de Azemeis
Oliveira de Azeméis
Oliveira de Azeméis Municipality is located in Oporto Metropolitan Area in Portugal. It has a total area of 163.5 km² and a total population of about 70,000 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of more than 15,000. Oliveira de Azeméis is part of Oporto Metropolitan Area and it is located...
were all ablaze. The A1 motorway connecting Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
with Oporto was closed due to low visibility caused by the smoke on the 27th. The Portuguese Army dispatched about 150 soldiers to fire-affected towns.
Two Italian water bomber planes were loaned to Portugal through the European Union’s solidarity mechanism on July 28. Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
also provided its neighbours with water bomber aircraft, but Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
requested further help from the EU and Spain. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
readied a plain on the French island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, just in case things got any worse in Portugal.
The Balkans
A heat wave hit Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
as exceptionally strong jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
winds blew in from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
across the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in to both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30C for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, apart from those in Romania
2010 Romanian floods
The 2010 Romanian floods were the result of an extreme weather event that struck Romania in late June 2010. Currently, at least 21 people died. The north-east of the country, especially Suceava County was most affected...
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the UK on June 30.
In mid June, Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
experienced very warm conditions, whilst Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
was being flooded. Ruse, Bulgaria hit 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) on the 13th making it the warmest spot in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Other records broken on the 13th includes Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
, Bulgaria at 35.8 °C (96.4 °F), Sandanski
Sandanski
-Municipality:Sandanski is the seat of Sandanski municipality , which includes the following 54 places:-Honour:Sandanski Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after the town of Sandanski....
, Bulgaria hitting 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), Lovech
Lovech
Lovech is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of 36,296 as of February 2011. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The town is located about 150 km northeast from the capital city of Sofia...
and Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
, Bulgaria at 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) as well as the capital, Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, hitting 33.3 °C (91.9 °F). The heat comes from the Sahara desert and is not associated with rain. This helped the situation with high water levels in that part of the continent.
On the 14th, several cities were once again above the 35 °C (95 °F) mark even thought they did not break records. The only cities in Bulgaria breaking records were Musala
Musala
Musala is the highest peak in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,925 m . The summit of the Rila mountain in southwestern Bulgaria, Musala is the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus and the highest in Eastern Europe bar the Caucasus.Between 1949–1962 the peak was...
, peak hitting 15.2 °C (59.4 °F), and Elhovo
Elhovo
Elhovo is a Bulgarian town in Yambol Province, located on the left bank of Tundzha river, between Strandzha and Sakar mountains. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Elhovo Municipality...
, hitting 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).
On the 15th, Ruse, Bulgaria peaked at 37.2 °C (99 °F). Although it was not a record, this was the highest temperature recorded in the country. Five Bulgarian cities broke high temperature records that day.
As the floods eased in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, apart from those in Romania
2010 Romanian floods
The 2010 Romanian floods were the result of an extreme weather event that struck Romania in late June 2010. Currently, at least 21 people died. The north-east of the country, especially Suceava County was most affected...
, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, including Frankfurt am Main in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the UK on June 30.
On July 3, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:...
, Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
, and the cities of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, killing a Romanian man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
Heavy rain fell in Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and parts of eastern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
on July 16.
Both the 16th and 17th saw Sandansk's thermometer hit 37.2 °C (99 °F). This temperature value was approaching the national record of 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) from 2007. The National Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (NIMH) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
(BAS) were concerned with the changing temperature patterns. On July 17, Bulgaria recorded temperatures in excess of 37C° and 8 young people drowned swimming and bathing in various lakes.
Northern Eurasia (Commonwealth of Independent States)
Georgia
Both temperatures 30-40C wild fires hit land near TbilisiTbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
between August 1 and 3. A 3 day wildfire consumed about 150 hectares of forest in Georgia's central region is now under control according to both the Environment Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia. The agency has statewide responsibilities for managing and conserving Georgia’s natural, cultural, and historical resources, and is divided into six divisions:...
.
Kazakhstan
Central KazakhstanKazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
witnessed a heavy spike in temperatures and a Kazakh farmer died of heat stroke
on the 11th.
Russia
| City | Latitude | Weather station | High temperature, °C (°F) | Date of maximum | Average t°C of July (+anomaly) | Average t°C of August (+anomaly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blagoveschensk | 50°22′0"N 127°31′0"E | city weather station | 25 June 2010 | - | - | |
| Volgograd Volgograd Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River... |
48°42′0"N 44°31′0"E | city weather station | 1 August 2010 | - | - | |
| Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... |
51°40′0"N 39°12′0"E | city weather station | 2 August 2010 | +26.4 (+6.7) | ||
| Kazan Kazan Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the... |
55°47′0"N 49°10′0"E | city weather station | 1 August 2010 | +26.0 (+6.3) | ||
| Kursk Kursk Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history... |
51°43′0"N 36°11′0"E | city weather station | 8 August 2010 | +25.8 (+7.2) | ||
| Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , North part |
55°50′0"N 37°37′0"E | VVC weather station VVC weather station The VVC weather station is the principal weather station in Moscow, Russia. It opened in 1948 on the grounds of the All-Russia Exhibition Centre... |
29 July 2010 | +26.1 (+7.7) | ||
| Moscow, Centre | 55°45′0"N 37°37′0"E | Balchug weather station | 29 July 2010 | - | - | |
| Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg... |
56°20′0"N 44°00′0"E | city weather station | 29 July 2010 | +25.6 (+6.9) | ||
| Oymyakon Oymyakon Oymyakon is a village in Oymyakonsky Ulus of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located along the Indigirka River, 30 kilometres northwest of Tomtor on the Kolyma Highway.-Geography:... |
63°27′0"N 142°47′0"E | city weather station | 28 July 2010 | +18.8 (+4.4) | ||
| Ryazan Ryazan Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport... |
54°36′0"N 39°42′0"E | city weather station | 1 August 2010 | - | - | |
| Rostov on Don | 47°14′0"N 39°42′0"E | city weather station | 1 August 2010 | +26.7 (+3.8) | ||
| Samara Samara, Russia Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast... |
53°14′0"N 50°10′0"E | city weather station | 30 July 2010 | +26.3 (+5.4) | ||
| Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea... |
59°57′0"N 30°19′0"E | city weather station | 7 August 2010 | +24.4 (+6.3) | ||
| Yaroslavl Yaroslavl Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historical part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities... |
57°37′0"N 39°51′0"E | city weather station | 26 July 2010 | - | - |
The abnormal heat wave was also experienced in Russia, causing fires throughout the country, the worst drought in nearly 40 years, and the deaths of at least 9 million hectares of crop. According to head of Rosgidromet state weather agency Alexander Frolov, there was no such heat during the last 1000 years. The highest temperature ever recorded in Russia was 44 °C (111.2 °F), set on 11 July, in Yashkul, Kalmykia
Kalmykia
The Republic of Kalmykia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: It is the only Buddhist region in Europe. It has also become well-known as an international chess mecca because its former President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is the head of the International Chess Federation .-Geography:*Area:...
, beating the previous record of 43.8 °C (110.8 °F) set on 6 August 1940, also in Kalmykia.
On 25 June a temperature record was set in the Asian portion of Russia, at Belogorsk
Belogorsk, Amur Oblast
Belogorsk is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River, a tributary of the Zeya. Population: 67,400 ; 53,000 ; 34,000 .-History:...
, at a reading of 42.3 °C (108.1 °F). The previous record in the Asian portion was 41.7 °C (107.1 °F) set at Aksha on 21 July 2004.
A heat wave started in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
on the 27 June, as temperatures reached 33.1 °C (91.6 °F), and stayed around 30 °C for the rest of the week. It also caused temperatures to rise noticeably in Yakutia, the Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range
Kuznetsk Alatau
Kuznetsk Alatau is a mountain range, South Siberia, Russia between Kuznetsk Depression and Minusinsk Depression. Length: about 300 km., elevation: up to . It is part of the mountain system of Central Asia. See Geography of South-Central Siberia....
and the Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
.
On 28 June Kvas
Kvås
Kvås is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the Lyngdalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Lyngdal. The village of Kvås is located along the river Lygna...
sales boomed in Russia.
On 30 June, the heat in Yakutia reached the temperature of 35.3 °C, as both the Siberian Federal District
Siberian Federal District
Siberian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was 19,254,300 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
and Ural Federal District began to overheat.
By the end of June, 1,244 people had drowned in Russia after swimming, often while drunk. By comparison, close to 3,000 Russians drowned during the entire summer of 2009.
On 3 July, a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast
Ryazan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Population: -Geography:...
, Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
, and the cities of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, killing a Romanian man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, accompanied by heavy snow in some places.
On 5 July, the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n emergency ministry confirmed that almost 300 overheating people had drowned swimming in various lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s during the heat wave. In one case at least 63 people died in one day alone. An emergency ministry spokesman told the Ria Novosti news agency that 285 people had died in Russia's waterways. The 285 deaths occurred mainly due to the fact that they had swum in dangerous locations, they were ill-prepared and/or were dangerously drunk. A Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n tourist also fell ill with sun stroke in Ryazan
Ryazan
Ryazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
. Moscow was hit by a minor cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak on 5 July.
Highs of nearly 34 °C (93.2 °F) in Moscow broke records. Earlier in June, Minsk hit 30 °C (86 °F) and Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
's temperature soared to 34 °C (93.2 °F). Saint Petersburg, however, has yet to see the 30-degree mark.
Temperatures hit a record-breaking highs of 37 °C in several regions in the Central Federal District
Central Federal District
The Central Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" is of political and historical meaning; geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,438,600 according to the 2010...
on 5 July. In addition, the temperatures were becoming slightly hotter than usual throughout the Siberian Federal District
Siberian Federal District
Siberian Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was 19,254,300 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
. The official record temperature for European Russia was set at 43.8 °C on 6 August 1940. The Siberian record was set at 35.3 °C in the Yakutia, which was also seeing its provincial temperature rise.
Russia's weather forecasts said it was the most prolonged heat wave since 1981. Moscow's City Hall sent out water tankers to put water on the roads to prevent the tarmac from melting.
Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
's temperature was 31 °C (87.8 °F) on 7 July. At the same time the heat in Yakutia recorded 35.3 °C. A record-breaking heat wave in late June saw temperatures reach 37 °C in several central Russian regions, sparking forest fires and causing heat stroke in many people in various parts of the Central Federal District
Central Federal District
The Central Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" is of political and historical meaning; geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,438,600 according to the 2010...
and Ural Federal District.
On the 11 and 12 July, many people across Europe fell ill due to heat stroke caused by the very high temperatures reached on these two days.
A total of 14 regions suddenly overheated on the 11 to 13 July, including Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
, Bashkortostan
Bashkortostan
The Republic of Bashkortostan , also known as Bashkiria is a federal subject of Russia . It is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Its capital is the city of Ufa...
, Orenburg
Orenburg
Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 546,987 ; 549,361 ; Highest point: 154.4 m...
, Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
, Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...
as the heat cooked the partly drought hit Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
. Nineteen of Russia's 83 regions declared a state of emergency after crop failure caused by the heat-induced drought. Electricity demand went up by as much as 6% in some Oblasts, leading to power supply problems. Sales of ice-cream also went up by 10—15%. The lead into the summer heat wave in 2010 began as an abnormally warm autumn and spring in 2009—2010. World scientists consider the heatwave abnormal by today's standards, but warn that it will soon become the norm throughout summertime.
The 3 week heat wave hit near-record temperatures in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on the 13 July; with near-record temperatures of 40 °C in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
.
On 13 July the Russian Bird conservation
Bird conservation
Bird conservation is a field in the science of conservation biology related to threatened birds. Humans have had a profound effect on many bird species...
Union (RBCU) said that the heat was killing most of European Russia
European Russia
European Russia refers to the western areas of Russia that lie within Europe, comprising roughly 3,960,000 square kilometres , larger in area than India, and spanning across 40% of Europe. Its eastern border is defined by the Ural Mountains and in the south it is defined by the border with...
’s birds, especially those in Moscow. Meteorologists considered it likely that temperatures would reach up to 36 °C (96.8 °F) later in the week.
On 14 July, central Russia saw record temperatures and was predicted to face 38 degrees Celsius by the weekend, higher than the all-time temperature record of 36.6 °C, set in August 1920. Owing to the drought, the government considered introducing a state of emergency in another two regions of the Russian Federation. Both Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
and Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its population was 13,856,700 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
reported large rises in temperature. The City of Yakutsk
Yakutsk
With a subarctic climate , Yakutsk is the coldest city, though not the coldest inhabited place, on Earth. Average monthly temperatures range from in July to in January. The coldest temperatures ever recorded on the planet outside Antarctica occurred in the basin of the Yana River to the northeast...
, with temperatures set to stick at 35 degrees for the next few days. Dagestan was also reported to be suffering a heat wave that day. 5 Italians, a Latvian and a Russian also drowned in the lower reaches of the Volga, near Volgograd
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
, all of whom were apparently drunk. As water levels in the River Volga have dropped Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
's drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
swimming has become more risky due to hidden objects being closer to the surface and increased flying insect activity.
In the first half of July, average temperatures in Moscow were 6.2 °C above average. The hottest July on record in the city, in 1938, was an average of 5.3 °C higher than average.
Approximately 400 people had drowned by mid-July.
1,200 Russians had died June 1 and July 15 due to swimming whilst drunk. Six children and a Ukrainian tourist also drowned, whilst sober, in the Sea of Azov
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov , known in Classical Antiquity as Lake Maeotis, is a sea on the south of Eastern Europe. It is linked by the narrow Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south and is bounded on the north by Ukraine mainland, on the east by Russia, and on the west by the Ukraine's Crimean...
. Vadim Seryogin, from the Russian Emergency Ministry said that 95% of the drowned had been consuming alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
. 9,000,000 hectares of farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
were destroyed along with 20% of the grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
harvest in what appears to be the worst drought in 130 years.
On July 29 Moscow experienced its hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 39C. The Deputy director of the Strategic Culture Foundation, Andrei Areshev, wrote that he feared Russia and its allies were the victim of Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
metrological weapons and weather modification techniques.
In St. Petersburg, various temperature records were broken in July, and the maximum yearly temperature record was set on Wednesday, 28 July, when the temperature was 35.3 degrees Celsius (95.5 degrees Fahrenheit). The maximum temperature in Moscow was set on 29 July, when it was 38.2 degrees Celsius (100.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
On July 30, wildfires killed 25 people, leaving more than 2000 people homeless. The fires were still burning on the 1st of August.
Likely in part due to the heat wave and smoke from forest fires, Moscow recorded 14,340 total deaths in the month of July, 4,824 more than the number recorded in July 2009. Pollution levels in the city were five times higher than normal.
On 1 August, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia led a holy mass to remember the 28 who had died since July 30. The forest fires came as Russia was experiencing its worst drought in just over 100 years. Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said 774 forest fires had been registered, 6 new fires were rumoured to have started near Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and a regional forestry department in the Central Federal District
Central Federal District
The Central Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" is of political and historical meaning; geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,438,600 according to the 2010...
reported that the fires now cover approximately 100,000 hectares. Some 4,000 soldiers were called in to help fight both the 6 rumoured and several known fires in the Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
. Over 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
organised an emergency meeting for August 2, with the governors of the various regions in the Central and Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District
Southern Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its population was 13,856,700 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
devastated by the fires. The grain harvest in these areas was also destroyed.
August 2 saw hundreds of wildfires threatening more than 200 villages around both Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
and in Mordovia
Mordovia
The Republic of Mordovia , also known as Mordvinia, is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Saransk. Population: -Geography:The republic is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain of Russia...
the chief of National Centre for Crisis Situations, General Vladimir Stepanov said.
The Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
saw 625 homes destroyed and Voronezh saw over 200 destroyed and more than 1,000 in both places evacuated," general Stepanov said as firemen, troops and local farmers struggled to drive the fires back from the cities of the Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District
Volga Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 29,900,400 according to the 2010 Census, living on an area of...
.
Ukraine
A heat wave hit Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
as exceptionally strong jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
winds blew in from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
across the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and in to both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
on 10 June. The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) warned of temperature in Poland exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) for the next 5 days, followed by heavy wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s, rain storms, thunderstorms and possible flooding especially in the north-west of the country and neighbouring parts of Germany.
12 June saw the temperature of 34 °C (93.2 °F) in Kiev registered though the city was previously forecasted to hit the 37 °C (98.6 °F) mark, breaking the previous Kiev record that had stood since 1946 (33.3 °C (91.9 °F)). Ukrainian Galicia and the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
peninsula also saw temperatures rise sharply.
On 6 July, 3 low pressure areas moved towards and settled near the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
after a week a high pressure
High pressure
High pressure in science and engineering is studying the effects of high pressure on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure...
in the region’s jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
far northward in its trek through Europe. The Accuweather.com GFS
Global Forecast System
The Global Forecast System is a global numerical weather prediction computer model run by NOAA. This mathematical model is run four times a day and produces forecasts up to 16 days in advance, but with decreasing spatial and temporal resolution over time...
numerical model predicts the same weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
for the next week and an even worse heat wave for the week
Week
A week is a time unit equal to seven days.The English word week continues an Old English wice, ultimately from a Common Germanic , from a root "turn, move, change"...
of the Accuweather.com forecast Earlier in June, Minsk hit 30 C and Kiev temperature soared to 34 °C (93.2 °F). Saint Petersburg had yet to see the 30 °C (86 °F) mark.
Heavy storms in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
at the end on 17 July. Temperatures of 30–35 °C (86–95 F) were registered in almost whole Ukraine in July, while in the east and in the northeast they reached 36–39 °C (96.8–102.2 F).
It was revealed on 19 July that 800 Ukrainians, including 115 kids, had drowned since 1 May.
Temperatures began rising again in Ukraine in early August, with 35–40 °C (95–104 F) being recorded at many central and eastern locations, including the city of Kiev, in the first week. Wildfires broke out throughout Ukraine late July/early August. According to Ukrainian authorities these fires where not as severe as the 2010 Russian wildfires
2010 Russian wildfires
The 2010 Russian wildfires were several hundred wildfires that broke out across Russia, primarily in the west, starting in late July 2010, due to record temperatures and drought in the region...
. A total of 522 fires, including 122 in residential areas were registered on August 11. No wildfires where recorded nearby Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
during the heatwave.
On August 6 the Ukrainian Weather Forecasting Center forecasted the heatwave would continue at least until August 18 and probably till the end of August and that extremely high fire risks would remain in Ukraine, apart from western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Indeed, a major cool-down did take place on the 18th, with showers and thunderstorms ushering in cooler temperatures (mid-20s°C (mid/late-70s°F)).
Turkey
Heavy rain falls in the town of RizeRize
Rize is the capital of Rize Province, in northeast Turkey, on the Black Sea coast.-Etymology:The name comes from Greek or Ριζαίον , meaning "mountain slopes". In modern times, its name in Greek was usually Ριζούντα . Its Latin forms are Rhizus and Rhizaeum...
, Turkey and along the Turkish/Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n border on the 15th of July.
Burma (Myanmar)
Myanmar's hottest temperature on record was set on May 12, at 47.2 °C in MyinmuMyinmu
Myinmu is a river town in the southeast of the Sagaing Division in Burma. The town has a rich history linked to World War II during the Burma Campaign against the Japanese, in 1944. It was also under the control of the Portuguese Missionaries in the 19th century...
, Sagaing Division
Sagaing Division
Sagaing Region is an administrative region of Burma , located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east...
. The previous hottest temperature record in the country was set in May 1980 at 46.0 °C in Magwe
Magwe, Burma
Magwe is the capital city of Magway Region of Burma , and home to Magway Airport.Magway is situated on the bank of AyeYarWaddy River...
, Magwe Division.
China
On May 23, 12 villagers were killed trying to put out a forest fire in the southwestern Chinese province YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
.
Prior to the droughts in Yunnan and Guizhou, the China Meteorological Administration
China Meteorological Administration
The China Meteorological Administration , headquartered in Beijing, is the national weather service for the People's Republic of China.-History:...
recorded temperatures averaging 2 °C (35.6 °F) warmer than normal over six months and half the average precipitation for the past year across the region, both unprecedented since at least the 1950s. By March 22, 2010, about 51 million people faced water shortages in a number of provinces. This drought would soon be replaced by record breaking thunderstorms in late June.
June 27–29 saw the heaviest rain fall in Luolou township in the Chinese Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
Zhuang autonomous region in 300 years. 6,673 people were affected; as the town was cut off, schools closed and people travelled by boat.
The heat wave hit China's Liaoning Province and Hubei Province on the 2nd.
The heat wave hit Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
city, Hubei Province, Qionghai
Qionghai
-Other:Qionghai is historically associated with the Red Detachment of Women, an all-female company of the Chinese Red Army who survived Nationalist persecution...
, Hainan Province, Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
city, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
Zhuang autonomous region, on July 3. As the hot weather swept most of northern, central and southern China some regions recorded temperatures soaring up to 39 °C (102.2 °F).
July 5 saw temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) scorch 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a yellow heat
Heat illness
Heat illness or heat-related illness is a spectrum of disorders due to environmental heat exposure. It includes minor conditions such as heat cramps, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion as well as the more severe condition known as heat stroke....
alert to the provinces of Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
Autonomous Region, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
and Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
Province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
on July the 5th. About 400000 square kilometre, or 37.8%, of Inner Mongolia were hit by drought.
Xingqing Lake, in the Xingqing Palace Park, turned crimson; park spokesman Liang Zibin blamed a mixture of pollutant
Pollutant
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil, and is the cause of pollution.Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, its concentration and its persistence. Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the...
s and high heat for the aquatic
Aquatic ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems....
phenomena. There were serious problems with green algae in the river surrounding the ancient city of Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
. Lakes and rivers turned green and red as a result of algae blooms flourishing in the hot weather, according to the Xinhua news agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
.
July 5 saw Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
set a new highest temperature record at 40.3 °C (104.5 °F). Near record heat waves hit both Gansu Province, Guizho and Inner Mongolian on the 5th.
A yellow-level heat alert was issued in the provinces of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
and Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
as well as Guangxi Zhuang
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
Autonomous Region, due to predicted temperatures of 35 to 38 °C (95 to 100.4 F) on July 5.
Bajin, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and Hong Kong
British Hong Kong
British Hong Kong refers to Hong Kong as a Crown colony and later, a British dependent territory under British administration from 1841 to 1997.- Colonial establishment :...
witnessed a heavy spike in temperatures on the 7th.
Temperatures in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Quzhou
Quzhou
Quzhou is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Zhejiang province, China. Sitting on the upper course of the Qiantang River, it borders Hangzhou to the north, Jinhua to the east, Lishui to the southeast, and the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui to the south the south, southwest and...
rose sharply to 35 °C (95 °F) as the average heat wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
temperature 13 of the China's provinces and regions reached over 35 °C. A record temperature of 41.8 °C (107.2 °F) hit Beijing on the 7th and were predicted to reach 40 °C (104 °F) on the 8th.
On 7 July, five people died and eight were missing after torrential rains caused flash floods in Huangyuan County
Huangyuan County
Huangyuan County is a county of Qinghai Province, China. It is under the administration of Xining city....
, in China's overheating Qinghai Province, according to local government sources. Rumours that a homeless old man had also been crushed to death in a partly collapsed house were denied by rescue workers.
July 8 saw the highest temperature and heavy rain storms across the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
so far. China's National Meteorological Centre
National Meteorological Centre
National Meteorological Centre is a subordinate body of the China Meteorological Administration in the People's Republic of China. It is essentially a weather reporting service....
(NMC) predicted that temperatures would fall by the 9th.
Local authorities and the NMC also issued an orange flood alert in central and southwest China were put on flood alert and the worst floods for 40 years hit the regions.
Heavy rains hit Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
provinces on July the 8th and caused a 1 meter deep flood which killed 1 person and made 500,000 homeless. The storm moved southeastward over the next day, helping to dissipate the local heat wave.
Forest fires hit parts of Qinghai Province on July 20.
There was a forest fire in the Greater Hinggan
Greater Khingan
The Greater Khingan Range , also called the Greater Hing'an Range or Greater Hinggan Range, is a volcanic mountain range in the northeastern part of the People's Republic of China. The range extends roughly 1,200 km from north to south, narrowing towards the south...
Mountains of Heilongjiang Province according to Sun Xiguo, director of the fire control
Fire control
control of fire 'control of fire' is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, or reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving a fire of fuel, oxygen or heat ....
headquarters of Greater Hinggan Mountains. More than 7,000 people in Heilongjiang and another 3,000 from Inner Mongolia battled the fires as the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
’s ground temperature had been as high as 50 °C (122 °F) on August 4.
India
One of the hottest seasons on record was recorded in India through May, prior to the monsoon season. At least 250 people died from the heat wave in the country. The 2010 Indian heatwave is a period of ongoing extremely hot weather occurring during the summer of 2010 in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and much of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Temperatures of 53.7C (128.66 F) have been recorded in Pakistan. Said to be the harshest summer since 1800, the heatwave has killed hundreds of people due to heat exhaustion and food poisoning
Japan
The summer of 2010 was the hottest since Japan began keeping records. Major Japanese cities recorded their highest temperatures between July 15 and September 6.According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency
The or JMA, is the Japanese government's weather service. Charged with gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan, it is a semi-autonomous part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport...
(JMA)'s confirmed report, major Japanese cities on average, were at their highest level of hot temperatures, in August 2010. Fukuoka, Kyushu
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
, Fukuyama, Hiroshima
Fukuyama, Hiroshima
is a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima City, it is the largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture...
, Hirakata, Osaka
Hirakata, Osaka
is a city located in north-eastern Osaka, Japan, near the prefectural borders of Nara and Kyoto. It is renowned for its chrysanthemum doll exhibition, as well as Hirakata Park — an amusement park featuring five roller coasters....
, Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Okayama, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Takamatsu, Shikoku
Takamatsu, Kagawa
is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
are all above 30 °C (86 °F) average temperatures in August this year. And low temperatures in 25 °C (77 °F) day are: 50 days in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 49 days in Osaka, 48 days in Takamatsu, 47 days in Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Nagoya, 43 days in Kanazawa
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
, 40 days in Yonago and 38 days in Niigata, all during same period. Following the above, 35 °C (95 °F) high temperature days are: 37 days in Kumagaya, Saitama
Kumagaya, Saitama
is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 203,089 . The total area is 159.88 km². The city is one of the biggest in northern Saitama Prefecture. It is the administrative, business and commercial centre in northern Saitama Prefecture. Eight...
, 33 days in Kyoto and Isesaki, Gunma
Isesaki, Gunma
is a city located in Gunma, Japan. The current population is 211,021, with 80,638 households. A small city located near the geographic center of Japan's main island of Honshū, Isesaki is the fourth largest city in Gunma Prefecture and it is one of the growing cities within Gunma Prefecture...
, 31 days in Tokai, Aichi
Tokai, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 106,713 and the density of 2,460 persons per km². The total area is 43.36 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1969....
, 29 days in Tottori
Tottori, Tottori
is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....
, Kofu, Yamanashi
Kofu, Yamanashi
is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...
and Nishiwaki, Hyogo
Nishiwaki, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.The city calls itself "The Navel of Japan ." Located at the crossing of the 135° East meridian and the 35° North parallel, the city's Nihon no Heso Park marks the center of the nation...
, 25 days in Osaka and 24 days in Hiroshima, all during same period. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
The ' is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō in Japan. This ministry provides regulations on maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in foods, basic food and drug regulations, standards for foods, food additives, etc.It was formed with...
's confirmed report, 1,718 people died from hyperthrmia by heat stroke, from July to September.
Mongolia
An extreme heat wave hit MongoliaMongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
on June 23 with the temperature reaching as much as 41 °C (105.8 °F) in some places. The drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
and heat wave combined to make wild fires inevitable. At the time, 73 wild fires had already been registered in the country, with four more erupting on July 4.
The Khentii Mountains
Khentii Mountains
The Khentii Mountains are a mountain range in the Töv and Khentii Provinces in northern Mongolia. The chain overlaps the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and includes Mongolia's sacred mountain, Burkhan Khaldun, which is associated with the origin of Genghis Khan.The range forms the watershed...
were hit hard, with Khentii Province overheating and the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area
Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area
The Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area is a government administered Strictly Protected Area in the Khentii aimag in Eastern Mongolia. Strictly Protected Areas are regions of land designated by the Mongolian government as wildlife preservation areas. Herding and tourism are tightly controlled,...
facing a possible drought on the 5th.
Officials clamed the forest fires of the 6th were caused by the resent heat wave and drought.
The fires killed 3 people, injured 6, killed 936 head of livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and caused about 910 million Tugrig (U.S. $670,000) in damages, officials said. About 984 fire-fighters, 164 border guards and 2,022 locals fought the bushfires.
The fires started in Selenge Province
Selenge Province
Selenge is one of the 21 aimags of Mongolia, located in the north of the country. The name is derived from the Selenge river. The capital is Sükhbaatar.- Administrative subdivisions :* - The aimag capital- References :...
and then Tov Province
Töv Province
Töv is one of the 21 aimags of Mongolia. The national capital Ulaanbaatar is located roughly at its center, but the city itself is administrated as an independent municipality.- Geography :...
on the 6th, but had spread to another 12 aimags (provinces) by the 7th, according to the head of the fire department of the general emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
authority. The emergency authority said they wanted people to stay out of the danger zones unless they were fighting the fires and called upon the public for more volunteer firefighters. July 7 saw even more bush fires in the already burning counties.
Pakistan
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Asia was reached in Kuwait at 54.4 °C, on May 26, and twelve cities in Pakistan saw temperatures above 50 °C. The previous record for Pakistan, and for all of Asia, was reached at 52.8 °C (127 °F) in SindhSindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
Province on June 12, 1919. By May 27, the temperatures higher than 45 °C hit many areas across the country, at least 18 people died in Pakistan.
Vietnam
HanoiHanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
was hit by a heat wave from June 29 to July 2. Daytime temperatures were between 40C and 35C, while night time temperatures were 30C. Droughts and power cut were an imminent threat in the north of Vietnam.
Iran
Heavy rain fell in most of East Azarbaijan ProvinceEast Azarbaijan Province
East Azerbaijan Province or East Azarbaijan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the northwest of the country, bordering Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the provinces of Ardabil, West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan...
and West Azarbaijan Province
West Azarbaijan Province
West Azerbaijan Province or West Azarbaijan Province , is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is located in the North West of the country, bordering Turkey, Iraq and Nakhchivan, and the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Zanjan and Kurdistan....
on the July 14th.
Iraq
A new unofficial hottest temperature recordTemperature record
The temperature record shows the fluctuations of the temperature of the atmosphere and the oceans through various spans of time. The most detailed information exists since 1850, when methodical thermometer-based records began. There are numerous estimates of temperatures since the end of the...
was set in Iraq on June 14, 2010, at 52.0 °C (125.6 °F) in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
. The previous record was 51.7 °C (125.1 °F) on August 8, 1937 in Ash Shu'ayba.
On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Israel
2010 was the hottest year since the beginning of records in Israel, and average temperatures were higher in 2-3C than the average. The temperature in Kibbutz AlmogAlmog
Almog is an Israeli settlement and a kibbutz near the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea in the Jordan Rift Valley in the West Bank. It is under the jurisdiction of the Megilot Regional Council. In 2008, there were 23 families living in Almog...
, near the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
, on August 7 was 51.4 °C (124.5 °F). The temperature was the hottest measured in 68 years. The summer lasted till December. On December a severe storm hit the Israeli shore, with waves rising up to 14 meters in height and 70-220 mm fell in 3 days as well as 1-2 meters of snow on Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
. After the storm there were 2 weeks of drought with no rain at all.
Lebanon
Lebanon has been through the worst drought ever since 1931 – the temperatures reached 47.6 °C (117.68 °F) in the coast and 37 °C (98.6 °F) in the Beqaa Valley. And the summer unusually prolonged until 5th December. The spring started pretty early that year, after passing through a stormy January with no snow, which only fall on 21st January and lasted until the last days of February.Jordan
The temperature nearly break the record of July 2000, in Marka (civil/mil airport) Amman, where temperatures reached 42.2 °C according to the METAR recording at the mentioned airport, adding that temperatures were nudging the 40 °C in many consecutive days, and actually went beyond it.Meanwhile, unofficial break of previous records, were reported in Tela' Al-Ai/Sweileh area, according to "JordanWeather" for Meteorological consultancies, where the temperature was reported to be 40.3 °C on 1 August. Also unofficial break of previous records, was reported in Anjara/Ajloun governorate where temperature hit the 39.1 °C point on the 7th of August.
By 20 August, another intense heat wave arrived, it broke the previously mentioned record in Marka airport, and reached 43.5 °C. The temperature in Tela' Al-Ali/Sweileh, Madaba, Anjara/Ajloun, reached 42.3 °C.
Kuwait
The temperature in Matrabah reached 54.4 °C on June 15 which was the highest temperature ever recorded in Asia, and is 2 degrees lower than the record for Death Valley, USA of 56 degrees, and 4 degrees lower than the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth of 58 °C at Al-Aziziya, Libya but scientists argue that this temperature is inaccurate as thermometer was above Tarmac floor and in direction of sun. In August of 2010, the heat index reached 64 °C at Al-Nuwaiseeb due to the high humidity.On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
Oman
Heavy rain and thunder storms hit the town of SamailSamail
Samail is a Wilayah located in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region of the Sultanate of Oman close to the Samail Gap a break in the Hajar Mountains. Samail is known to have the warmest average nights for a city in the world, with an average July night dipping to just about 89 degrees Farenheit. It's...
in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
's northern, coastal mountain range on July the 14th.
Saudi Arabia
The heat wave hit Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in June, setting an unofficial all-time temperature record on June 22, at 52 °C (125.6 °F), breaking the previous record of 51.7 °C (125.1 °F). The heat wave also caused sand storms to occur, causing a blackout after eight power plants in the country were knocked offline.
North Africa in general
NiameyNiamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
took in refugees from Tillabéri Department
Tillabéri Department
Tillabéri is a department of the Tillabéri Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Tillabéri, and contains the Communes of Ayorou , Anzourou, Dessa, Kourteye, and Sinder. Tillabéri is also the capitol of Tillabéri Region...
12 days before, after they turned up hoping the city would help them. The towns of Kongomé, Zinder
Zinder
Zinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
, Tanout
Tanout
Tanout is a town in southern Niger. It is in Zinder Region, Tanout Department, north of the city of Zinder. It is the administrative capital of Tanout Department....
and Dalli were the worst hit by the drought by May 3.
Dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
was reported to have killed 1 person in Niger, while others in the region were at risk of water shortages on June 1.
A new heat wave hit Niger on June 21, causing a increased area of drought; causing crop failure and the threat o widespread famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
.
In Chad, the temperature reached 47.6 °C (117.7 °F) on June 22 in Faya-Largeau
Faya-Largeau
Located in the Sahara, Faya's climate is classed as hot desert on the Köppen climate classification. It experiences hot winters and very hot summers with the peak average maximum temperature reaching in May and the average minimum reaching its lowest in January at . Rainfall averages out at about...
, breaking a record set in 1961. Sudan reached 49.7 °C (121.5 °F) in Dongola
Dongola
Dongola , also spelled Dunqulah, and formerly known as Al 'Urdi, is the capital of the state of Northern in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancient city located 80 km upstream on the opposite bank....
the same day, breaking a record set in 1987. Niger broke its own record set in 1998 the next day at 48.2 °C (118.8 °F) in Bilma
Bilma
Bilma is an oasis town in north east Niger with a population of around 2,500 people. It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment...
.
Three years of famine and more recent sandstorms devastated Niger on July 14, prompting the new military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
to appeal for international food aid.
On July 24, the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
flew its logistics teams to Niger to help the army and local officials with transportation.
The relief effort has already been made possible by the response to the Red Cross's West Africa Crisis Appeal which aims to raise £500,000. According to UN agencies, 200,000 children need treatment for malnutrition in Niger alone, as Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
puts out an £7,000,000 appeal to cover both the Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
.
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sends food and cash aid to Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
on July the 25
On July 26 the heat reached near record levels over Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, and about 20 had reportedly died in northern Niger of dehydration on July the 27th.
On August 1, Gadabeji, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
suffered 35 °C (95 °F) heat and drought. The exceptionally heavy rainfall of 2009 destroyed crops and devastated the year's harvest. The resulting fall in production in staples like maize, millet and sorghum affected much of West Africa's fragile Sahel, including neighbouring Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
and northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
August 3 had Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
hit by a drought, as 4,500,000 Burkinans and 6,700,000 Nigerans faced starvation.
Mauritania, Senegal and Mali
On May 12 and 26, MauritaniaMauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, the Sénégal River Area, and neighbouring parts of both Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
faced both a drought and famine.
Seven people died in Ghaidi Magha, Mauritania, near the Malian border on May the 18th.
Morocco and Algeria
The heat wave that left an overheating MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
for the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
on July 11 was attributed to the regional hot air currents that depart from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert in Northern Africa at about 1,000 meters in altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
, which facilitated a movement in the hot air towards the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
via the Straits of Gibraltar, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Unusually hot weather was also reported in parts of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on the 11th.
Sudan
SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
all recorded their hottest all-time temperatures on record on June 22 and June 23, hitting the mid 40s Celsius in places.
North America
In Frederick, MarylandFrederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
the temperature reached 106 °F (41.1 °C) in early July. Power outages in New York and in Southern
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
were reported to have been caused by the heatwave.
June 24 saw a high pressure zone settle between North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. A two-day long heat wave hit the more rural parts of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on July 1.
From July 4 to July 9, 2010, the majority of the American East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, was gripped in a severe heat wave. Both Philadelphia and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as well as Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
eclipsed 100 °F (37.8 °C). Many records were broken, some of which dated back to the 19th century, including Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
's temperature of 103 °F (39.4 °C) on Wednesday, the 7th, which broke the record of 97 °F (36.1 °C) from 1897. Philadelphia and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
eclipsed 100 °F (37.8 °C) for the first time since 2001. Frederick, Maryland and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, among others, exceeded 100 °F (37.8 °C) for four days in a row.
Meanwhile, various authorities on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
issued extreme heat alerts, with the temperature being forecast to rise well beyond 30 °C in some areas on the 5th.
The American northeast was badly affected as New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
saw a record temperature of 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 6, and the heat hit 100.4*F 37.8 °C in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and to 40.6 °C in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
on the same day, breaking the standing Baltimore record of 1983.
It was 103 °F (39.4 °C) in New York City on July 7.
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
saw temperature as high as 35 °C in some areas and it was predicted to reach 38C the next day. A report released by the Wall Street Journal on July 7 stated that June saw sales rise over the Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
holiday, especially along the East Coast of America. By July 3, retail sales had risen by 3.9% from the year-ago period and 1% over the previous week, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers
International Council of Shopping Centers
Founded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders,...
and Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
and Johnson Redbook Research also showed a sales gain in the final week of June, citing the hot weather.
Both the American East Coast
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
and parts of the American Midwest have seen record high temperatures, killing two people on the 8th. Both the authorities in Washington DC, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
authorities issued safety advice to its residents.
Several power outages across the United States occurred due to increased demand, and also a transformer fire; lack of air conditioning led to the death of an elderly Philadelphia man and a homeless woman in Detroit. Canadian media outlets also stated that there had been a large increase of people visiting hospital during the heat wave, such as Montfort Hospital
Montfort Hospital
The Montfort Hospital is a hospital in Ottawa, Canada. It is noted for being the only fully bilingual hospital in the province of Ontario.The hospital was founded in 1953 by the Filles de la Sagesse Catholic order and was named after one of its founders Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. It...
, which reported 158 patients in one day.
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that "the hot weather was blamed for the deaths of 89-year-old Edward Pilch in Whitehall, PA, and a 46-year-old woman in Queens." The heat also caused rail disruptions in Washington after the metal track expanded and could not be contained by the dampers.
The BBC stated that electricity providers were "urging consumers to cut back on energy use to relieve the stress on the power system ... in Philadelphia alone, 8,000 people lost power due to increased demand on Tuesday [6th July]" News agencies stated that people had been staying in air-conditioned churches to avoid the heat. Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $14 billion in annual revenues and $36 billion in assets...
sent out dry ice
Dry ice
Dry ice, sometimes referred to as "Cardice" or as "card ice" , is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue...
to customers with no electricity.
The U.S. East Coast and parts of the Midwest saw temperatures reaching up to 38C on the 11th. The electricity grid in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
was near collapse as Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $14 billion in annual revenues and $36 billion in assets...
cut electricity to air conditioning units and 20,000 homes and businesses to ease the burden on its failing system, according to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Various utilities urged customers to use less electricity as the aging power grid began to falter under the heat wave that ran from Virginia to Maine via New York. About 375,400 customers in the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
neighborhoods of Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
, Gowanus, Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
and Brooklyn Heights were victims of limited power outages in New York on the 11th.
For the Midwest became more related to the extreme high humidity, above normal rainfall from thunderstorms across much of Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Illinois in the previous month leading up to the heat wave caused dewpoints to soar, in Newton, Iowa
Newton, Iowa
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,254. It is the home of Maytag Dairy Farms and was formerly home to the Maytag Corporation's corporate headquarters until the Whirlpool Corporation acquired it in 2006...
where temperatures had been in the mid-90s, the dew point reached 88 °F (31.1 °C) on July 14, one of the highest ever recorded in the United States. The heat index reached a staggering 128 °F (53.3 °C) in Newton, Chicago's dewpoint of 83 °F (28.3 °C), matching readings from the infamous 1995 Heat Wave that caused many deaths. Omaha, Des Moines and St. Louis also experienced intolerable humidity levels.
Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and several states in the Central U.S.
Central United States
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
had heavy thunderstorms with a severe tornado hitting Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
on July 16. The heat wave ended in most of Canada and was reduced by thunderstorms in much of the United States.
The heat continued through the second half of July but extreme heat was mostly confined to the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, giving relief to the Northeast and Upper Midwest as it had early in the month. The intense heat build up again occurred over much of Plains states, Upper South and Lower Midwest; temperatures surpassed 40 °C (104 °F) in many locations. By August 3, the temperature in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
reached 109 °F (42.8 °C). Washington, DC had temperatures that surpassed 98 °F (36.7 °C) on 11 days during the summer of 2010, reaching a peak of 102 °F (38.9 °C) on July 6 and 7th.
By late July, the morgue in Pima County, Arizona
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
had become overwhelmed with over 300 bodies; of these, 57 deaths were attributed to immigrants crossing the Mexico – United States border, overwhelmed by the July heat.
The heat wave was absent on the west coast of North America, where an unusually cool summer took place. However, parts of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and parts of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
saw slightly above-average temperatures on July 6. On September 27 Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
broke its all-time record high recording a tempature of 113 °F (45 °C) in downtown Los Angeles, along with San Diego County, with a new record high temperature of 112 °F (44.4 °C). The Southwestern United States had near high temperatures from September 26 to October 2, and even hotter than that in some regions.
Fatalities
The death toll from the heat waveHeat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
across the Northern Hemisphere stands at:
| Nation | Fatalities | Unofficial Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 1,000 | 500 |
| USA | 311 | 18 |
| India | 250 | 0 |
| Mauritania | 7 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 18 | |
| Niger | Approximately 21 | |
| Russia | 54 | 1,246 - 15,000+ |
| Ukraine | 3 | 801 |
| Italy | 0 | 5 |
| Poland | 0 | 52 |
| Bulgaria | 8 | |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | |
| Mongolia | 3 | |
| China | 21 | 28 |
| UK | 1 | |
| France | 1 | |
| Spain | 4 | |
| Croatia | 1 | |
| Romania | 1 | |
| Germany | 0 | 9 |
| Japan | 496 | 1,718 |
| Total | 2,126 | 19,630 |
See also
- Cold waveCold waveA cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and...
- Cyclone PhetCyclone PhetCyclone Phet was the third named cyclone of the 2010 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Phet developed from a low pressure area in the Arabian Sea that organized into a tropical cyclone on May 31...
- DroughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
- El Niño-Southern OscillationEl Niño-Southern OscillationEl Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- Heat burstHeat burstIn meteorology, a heat burst is a rare atmospheric phenomenon characterised by gusty winds and a rapid increase in temperature and decrease in dew point...
- List of severe weather phenomena
- Urban heat islandUrban heat islandAn urban heat island is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. The phenomenon was first investigated and described by Luke Howard in the 1810s, although he was not the one to name the phenomenon. The temperature difference usually is larger at night...
- 2010 Pakistan floods2010 Pakistan floodsThe 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater, approximately...
- 2010 Russian wildfires2010 Russian wildfiresThe 2010 Russian wildfires were several hundred wildfires that broke out across Russia, primarily in the west, starting in late July 2010, due to record temperatures and drought in the region...
- 2010 Bolivia forest fires2010 Bolivia forest firesThe 2010 Bolivia forest fires led the country's government to declare a state of emergency, as wildfires spread across the country. More than 25,000 fires are burning across . These raging fires have destroyed nearly sixty homes...
- 2010 China drought and dust storms2010 China drought and dust stormsThe 2010 China drought and dust storms were a series of severe droughts during the spring of 2010 that affected Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Hebei and Gansu in the People's Republic of China as well as parts of Southeast Asia including Vietnam and Thailand,...
- 2010 Romanian floods2010 Romanian floodsThe 2010 Romanian floods were the result of an extreme weather event that struck Romania in late June 2010. Currently, at least 21 people died. The north-east of the country, especially Suceava County was most affected...
- 2010 China floods
- Severe weather of the Indian subcontinent during 2010
- 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull2010 eruptions of EyjafjallajökullThe 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
- 2010 Western Australian storms2010 Western Australian stormsThe 2010 Western Australian storms were a series of storms that travelled over south-western Western Australia on 21 and 22 March 2010. One of the more intense storm cells passed directly over the capital city of Perth between 3:30pm and 5:00pm on Monday 22 March 2010...
in EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's Southern HemisphereSouthern HemisphereThe Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"... - 2010 Victorian storms2010 Victorian stormsThe 2010 Victorian storms were a series of storms that passed through much of the Australian state of Victoria on 6 March and 7 March 2010. One of the most severe storms passed directly over Greater Melbourne, bringing lightning, flash flooding, very large hail and strong winds to the state's capital...
in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - Tornadoes of 2010Tornadoes of 2010This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2010. The majority of tornadoes form in the U.S., but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions...
- Global storm activity of 2010Global storm activity of 2010The former article was split into three to avoid confusion between the three periods of storm activity.*Global storm activity of early 2010 – January–April 2010*Global storm activity of mid 2010 – May–September 2010...
- Global storm activity of 2009Global storm activity of 2009Global storm activity of 2009 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009...
- 2003 European heat wave2003 European heat waveThe 2003 European heat wave was the hottest summer on record in Europe since at least 1540. France was hit especially hard. The heat wave led to health crises in several countries and combined with drought to create a crop shortfall in Southern Europe...
External links
- FEMA: Extreme Heat
- Hot Weather Tips
- WeatherBug Weather Wrap
- Social & Economic Costs of Temperature Extremes from National Climatic Data CenterNational Climatic Data CenterThe United States National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The center became established in late 1951, with the move into the new facility occurring in early 1952....
"NOAA Socioeconomics" website initiative