Ukraine Sees Hottest Temperature Ever as 2010 Tops the Record Books for National Temperature Extremes

What a difference a day makes.  We reported yesterday (2 Aug 2010) that 2010 was tied with 2007 for the number of countries breaking all time high temperature records.  Today, Jeff Masters reports:

"On August 1, the Ukraine tied its record for hottest temperature in its history when the mercury hit 41.3°C (106.3°F) at Lukhansk. The Ukraine also reached 41.3°C on July 20 and 21, 2007, at Voznesensk. Sixteen of 225 nations on Earth have set extreme highest temperature in history records this year, the most of any year. The year 2007 is in second place, with fifteen such records."

The figure below shows the departures from normal for Lukhansk (also spelled Lugansk) over the last thirty days through 1 August 2010).  Note that the entire period has seen above normal temperatures -- running an average of 4.46oC (8.0oF) above normal.

Jeff Masters goes on to say that July 2010 was the warmest on record for five U.S. cities: 

• Las Vegas, NV: 96.2°F (old record: 95.3°F, July 2005).
• Atlantic City, NJ: 79.8°F (old record: 78.7°F, July 1983)
• Washington, D.C.: 83.1°F (tied with July 1993)
• Baltimore, MD: 81.5°F (tied with July 1995)
• Trenton, NJ: 80.5°F (tied with July 1955)

He then says:

"None of the 303 major U.S. cities listed in the records section of Chris Burt's book Extreme Weather has set a coldest month in history record since 1994 (these 303 cites were selected to represent a broad spectrum of U.S. climate zones, are not all big cities, have a good range of elevations, and in most cases have data going back to the 1880s.) There were just three such records (1% of the 303 major U.S. cities) set in the past twenty years, 1991 - 2010. In contrast, 97 out of 303 major U.S. cities (32%) set records for their warmest month in history during the past twenty years. It is much harder to set a coldest month in history record than a coldest day in history record in a warming climate, since it requires cold for an extended period of time--not just a sudden extreme cold snap."

See Jeff Masters' full post: Colin arrives; extreme heat records fall for the Ukraine and 5 U.S. cities (3 August 2010).