It isn’t literally Global Warming as much as climate disturbance – however the latest data does make it look like it is a literal warming up. The National Claimatic Data Center (who knew we had that agency?) has a report for this past month that is specific and raises concern.
Major Highlights
SIXTH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD ENDS WITH RECORD HEAT IN SOUTH
WIDESPREAD DROUGHT CONTINUES IN SOUTHEAST AND WEST
BOREAL SUMMER 7TH WARMEST ON RECORD FOR GLOBE
Gristmill has this summary
By Joseph Romm
Let’s look at some of the records for the month:, according to the National Climatic Data Center, a division of NOAA:
* For the contiguous U.S., the average temperature for August was 75.4°F (24.1°C), which was 2.7°F (1.5°C) above the 20th century mean and the second warmest August on record.
* More than 30 all-time high temperature records were tied or broken, and more than 2000 new daily high temperature records were established.
* Raleigh-Durham, N.C., equaled its all-time high of 105°F on August 21, and Columbia, S.C., had 14 days in August with temperatures over 100°F, which broke the 1900 record of 12 days. Cincinnati, OH, reached 100°F five days during August, a new record for the city.
* The warmest August in the 113-year record occurred in eight eastern states (West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida) along with Utah.
* Texas had its wettest summer on record.
* This was the driest summer since records began in 1895 for North Carolina, and the second driest for Tennessee.
* At the end of August, drought affected approximately 83 percent of the Southeast and 46 percent of the contiguous U.S.Coincidence? I think not!
This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.