2010 Now Tied With 2007 For Number of Countries Breaking All Time High Temperature Records

[Editor's note: See also our 3 Aug 2010 posting, Ukraine Sees Hottest Temperature Ever as 2010 Tops the Record Books for National Temperature Extremes.] 

With Cyprus reaching its all-time record high temperature of 46.6°C (115.9°F) on 1 August 2010, fifteen national high temperature records now have been broken this year.  Among the countries breaking records in July was Russia where anomalous heat in both the West and Northeast has created extreme wildfire conditions.

Dr. Jeff Masters reports in his WunderBlog:

"The year 2010 is now tied with 2007 as the year with the most national extreme heat records--fifteen. There has been one country that has recorded its coldest temperature on record in 2010; see my post last week for a list of the 2010 records...Seventy four extreme hottest temperature records have been set in the past ten years (33% of all countries.) For comparison, 14 countries set extreme coldest temperature records over the past ten years (6% of all countries)."

One of the countries reaching temperature extremes is Russia:

"Russia had its hottest temperature in history on July 11, when the mercury rose to 44.0°C (111.2°F) in Yashkul, Kalmykia Republic, in the European portion of Russia near the Kazakhstan border. The previous hottest temperature in Russia (not including the former Soviet republics) was the 43.8°C (110.8°F) reading measured at Alexander Gaj, Kalmykia Republic, on August 6, 1940. The remarkable heat in Russia this year has not been limited just to the European portion of the country--the Asian portion of Russia also recorded its hottest temperature in history this year, a 42.3°C (108.1°F) reading at Belogorsk, near the Amur River border with China. The previous record for the Asian portion of Russia was 41.7°C (107.1°F) at nearby Aksha on July 21, 2004."

The anomalously high temperatures in Russia from 1-30 July 2010 are shown in the figure below.  The largest temperature anomalies are shown in red (over 6oC or 10.8oF above normal).

The hot and dry weather has created extreme wildfire conditions, prompting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to declare states of emergency in seven regions today (2 August 2010).  Medvedev said:

"Fires are blazing today in 14 of our country’s regions, with vast areas engulfed by flames...The fires have left more than two thousand of our fellow citizens homeless. Among them are many children, many old and sick people. Many families have lost everything they owned in the flames. This is a huge tragedy."

As illustrated in the satellite image below of Eastern Siberia, the fires are blanketing large areas of Russia with smoke.   See also Smoke over Russia, today's "Natural Hazards" posting from NASA's Earth Obervatory.  The article features a satellite image of western Russia with smoke stretching across its full width -- about 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles).

Jeff Masters' Wunderblog:

• 91L near tropical depression status.  2 Aug 2010.  See section on "Cyprus records its hottest temperature in history yesterday."
• Moscow hits 102°F; hottest day ever in Finland; 90L a long-range threat. 

We must all help out in this common tragedy. Statement from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, issued 2 Aug 2010. 

Dmitry Medvedev signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in seven Russian regions hit by fires.  Issued on 2 August 2010.