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Not to be pedantic but does it really qualify as a heat wave? Essentially the whole planet (with a few exceptions) is 2-3 F hotter than the last 100 year avg an

Not to be pedantic but does it really qualify as a heat wave? Essentially the whole planet (with a few exceptions) is 2-3 F hotter than the last 100 year avg and the 3-4 highest month ever measured. This is really just new normal temperatures in a continuing upward trend.

Manfred 8y ago
Yes, because a heatwave is defined as a period of high temperature relative to the normal.
sjclemmy 8y ago
I’m sure lots of people in the UK would like to believe that a summer like this is the ‘new normal’. But I can attest to the fact that the last time temperatures and rainfall were like this in the UK was in 1995 and before that 1976 (which I don’t quite remember, but I was there)
Freestyler_3 8y ago
" Essentially the whole planet (with a few exceptions) is 2-3 F hotter than the ... 3-4 highest month ever measured. " Can you elaborate on this?
- throwaway5752 8y ago
  I wouldn't be able to until later, but it's fairly easy to find the details under the NOAA's site. They have visualizations and methodology, amazing public resource.
jwdunne 8y ago
Oh yes. We rarely get a runway of heat like this for such a length of time. Plus, even if not technically a heatwave, we'd still call it one as laypeople. We are built to withstand the cold and wet (buildings, wardrobes, etc). It becomes extremely uncomfortable in hot weather no matter how much we like to moan about shite weather.
andyjohnson0 8y ago
I live in the UK, and the weather over the last six weeks has been exceptionally dry and warm compared to our usual summer weather [1]. It might not be a heatwave in some technical sense, but here on the ground that's how people are describing it. [1] "Three fine days and a thunderstorm"
- jadavies 8y ago
  We haven't had a hosepipe ban around here yet so it's not a proper heatwave :)
akerro 8y ago
Totally, it's not only heat wave but also lack of rain. Normally it rains every 3-6 days in Wales, last rain longer than 3minutes I remember was in beginning of May. Last weather with these temperatures I remember is form 2011, but lasted only 3 days in September.

Manfred 8y ago

Yes, because a heatwave is defined as a period of high temperature relative to the normal.

sjclemmy 8y ago

I’m sure lots of people in the UK would like to believe that a summer like this is the ‘new normal’. But I can attest to the fact that the last time temperatures and rainfall were like this in the UK was in 1995 and before that 1976 (which I don’t quite remember, but I was there)

Freestyler_3 8y ago

" Essentially the whole planet (with a few exceptions) is 2-3 F hotter than the ... 3-4 highest month ever measured. " Can you elaborate on this?

throwaway5752 8y ago
I wouldn't be able to until later, but it's fairly easy to find the details under the NOAA's site. They have visualizations and methodology, amazing public resource.

jwdunne 8y ago

Oh yes. We rarely get a runway of heat like this for such a length of time. Plus, even if not technically a heatwave, we'd still call it one as laypeople. We are built to withstand the cold and wet (buildings, wardrobes, etc). It becomes extremely uncomfortable in hot weather no matter how much we like to moan about shite weather.

andyjohnson0 8y ago

I live in the UK, and the weather over the last six weeks has been exceptionally dry and warm compared to our usual summer weather [1]. It might not be a heatwave in some technical sense, but here on the ground that's how people are describing it. [1] "Three fine days and a thunderstorm"

jadavies 8y ago
We haven't had a hosepipe ban around here yet so it's not a proper heatwave :)

akerro 8y ago

Totally, it's not only heat wave but also lack of rain. Normally it rains every 3-6 days in Wales, last rain longer than 3minutes I remember was in beginning of May. Last weather with these temperatures I remember is form 2011, but lasted only 3 days in September.