Thanks for sharing this!

Chicago has very weird weather - I have stayed there! I remember cold freezing heavy rain at -4C in Oak park, when further north near Harlem just a few KM's away there was about 4" of snow when the cars in the city we soaked in rain and it was only the outer-suburbs that had all the snow.

I also remember very well taking the "above ground" train from Oak Park to downtown Chicago to visit the Hancock tower and it was drizzling with an outside air temperature of +5C, however when I took the lift up (which made my ears pop) UP to the 95th floor and had lunch I looked out the window and could see tiny ice-crystals/snowflakes and all the sky scrapers below had a light dusting of snow and looking directly northwards outside along the land by lake Michigan towards Wisconsin it looked whiter and whiter! - Was amazing really!

I did work experience at the CBT! Also if you have not done this make sure you visit the Art insitute and Navy Pier. - It's worth a visit.

I've searched some midwest cities and it looks as if the whole of the midwest is in the grip of an extreme heatwave - Denver currently at 7pm still sitting at +36C with smoke! I just wonder how hot that would feel in the sun, bear in mind Denver CO is a mile high!?

 

 

 

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Nice to have a reporter on the ground (though maybe not so pleasant for you!). The Tribune is mentioning the chance of the all-time record (from the dustbowl era of the 1930s) being threatened today: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-stifling-heat-to-stick-around-another-day-20120705,0,6328892.story

TWC going for a high of 101f (but I find they sometimes underestimate) while NOAA going for 103f for Chicago today.

Stewart: congrats on the promotion, although of course sad to hear it will mean fewer posts!

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Are temperature records and stats in the US always rounded up or down to the nearest whole number?

Seriously hot in Indiana - forecast highs of 42C in Terre Haute and Evansville on Saturday.

http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iwszone3

Just before I get back to the UK to cool off - one last update

The last three days here in Chicago have seen maxes of 102F, 103F, 103F. The all time record high here is 105F so close but no cigar. The only other years Chicago has had 3 100+ days on the spin were 1947 and 1911.

Tomorrow is expected to be cooler (97F) as a cold front moves down from the north later in the day but another 100+ day is just possible which would be 4 days and a new record.

Sunday and next week are back around the average if low to mid 80's but too late for me

 

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I'm currently in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Very warm and sunny here with clear blue skies. Looks like staying this way for the foreseeable future. It gets quite cool in the evening once the sun goes down but that is down to the cooling effect of the breeze coming in off the sea.

Elsewhere records continue to fall across N America in terms of temperatures and this is also triggering some violent storms. Around 200,000 people are still without power after the derecho 8 days ago. The majority of these are in West Virginia.

Tied or broken record high temperatures in the US in the last 30 days are staggering. Date records in individual locations now number 4920, monthly records over 800 and all time records 263. The heat is beginning to ease now but further severe thunderstorms expected across the eastern seaboard this weekend.

The all time temperature record for Washington DC may have gone today. The highest ever was 106F on July 20 1930. A figure of 106F has been recorded today. Confirmation is awaited as to whether the record has gone - it will presumably come down to tenths of a degree. All time records for Pittsburgh and Louisville may also have been beaten today.

The weather across the northern hemisphere is really stuck in a rut at present and resulting in some very extreme conditions in many places.

Never quite managed to tie the all-time high of 106f in Washington, DC Saturday but the high of 105f was impressive enough. The heatwave has now ended in the east but out west it's sizzling with highs above 110f for Phoenix and Las Vegas and above 120f for Death Valley.

The warmth extends right into the Pacific NW (as Global Warming reports) with sunny and warm weather for the likes of Seattle and Vancouver and highs into the upper 20s celsuis away from the immediate coast. 

What I'd give for a forecast like this: http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-74_metric_e.html

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Since I stop recording data here as it been so boring, I been very interested with the current temps in Death Valley.

Here the stats after they reached 54C the highest and 42C overnight temps.

34C to 49C

31C to 50C

32C to 51C

33C to 51C

42C to 54C First time I seen 42C overnight, highest I recorded was 41C some years back.

40C to 46C as it became cloudy which kept the minimum very hot but cooler by day.

33C to 38C as it been cloudy all day and some rain around and gave 1mm so far.

Now very cool 25C and never seen 25C in July night temps so far.

Hot weather in Toronto will continue this coming week at low 30's.  No end in sight and probably the hottest prolonged summer I ever seen so far.

As Nicosia, Cyprus are not N America but worth to mentioned that they are getting regular summer heatwaves with the last 2 days was 26C and 40C.

Not quite in the same league as 2005, for example, quite yet: that year saw 41 days in Toronto reach 30c or above. I make it 14 thus far this year - though obviously a long way to go. The average is 14 days of 30c or above.

It's certainly been hot though with some notable highs: 36.3c reached twice this month!

It's also unusual to see so many consecutive 30c or greater days forecast for T.O. - more typically there are a few and then it cools back into the 20s. http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/on-143_metric_e.html

It's been nice to see the east and west coasts of Canada get in on the summer weather too of late - lots of lovely sunny days for Vancouver with temps in the 20s. Over on the east coast it was a toasty 31.2c in Halifax, NS yesterday.

Stateside the western heatwave Jiries was referring too has eased but it's still hot out on the Plains with high 90s and low 100s - though not unusual for mid-July.

The latest ECM long range suggests more heat and drought for the midwest and Plains and perhaps plenty more 30c days for Toronto too! http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/weekly-long-range-model-forecast-update-into-august/67965

Have a good weekend.

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Graeme, I been checking the data I collected for Toronto from 1980 to now for July month they were 29.7C in 1988, 30C in 1999, 30.1C in 2002, 29.9C in 2005 and this year so far 30.5C which is already hotter than 2002.

Worst summer there was in 1992 and only one off out of 30 years when it was only averaged at 22.6C.  My Aunt told me it was a disaster summer and had rain every single day.  So at least when I move there I would not have to suffer run of poor summers but would expected probably once ot twice of my remaining life time to see a poor summer, while I would see 30C July average once or twice a decade while rest are comfortable warm summers.

Ha ha, that would count as a terrific July up here. Anyway, lots of good reasons to live in Canada besides the weather, so best of luck with the move. I have a few colleagues from North America at work - needless to say none of them moved here for the climate.

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Decent storm here in Toronto atm, not top notch but as I've been so storm starved it's a good start 

And you getting decent temps in the 30's there.  How long you been staying there? I read that Toronto CN Tower get struck by lightning 75 times a year. 

Hey Jiries - only a week here so far, don't know whether I'm staying or not yet but it's a fantastic city, am v impressed! Weather reminds me a bit of Seoul or somewhere in E. Asia, way too humid for my liking but I guess it makes for some decent storms every now and again.

 

Looks like next week might see a cool down of sorts after midweek, didn't think I'd be looking forward to that so soon into my stay 

Still looking very warm to near hot after very hot start to the forecast Patrick.

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/on-143_metric_e.html

Agreed it a great city and those temps data above really give a very interesting readings daily, never bored of it like here I been bored and stop doing it since June.  Wish we had moved there this year to see the hottest July but I am sure it will come back in the near future, there always a hot july once or twice a decade.  Have a good trip there and you picked the right time to see the hottest July so far there.

Edit: They upgraded to 37C and 25C overnight so you going to see a very hot day on Tuesday.

Cheers Jiries,

Yep seems tomorrow might be a bit of a scorcher - but I'll be staking out a seat on the couch right in front of the air con and not moving a muscle, it's always best to make the most of these situations where possible 

Cheers jires and how many barbies have you have. I:))

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Hi all, Currently 32c/90f in Downtown Hamilton. Pretty cloudy out, very muggy feeling also. Chance for 33c/91f here but as discussed 36c up in Toronto tomorrow. (Another 36c!). 60% chance of a big storm rolling thru Southern Ontario tomorrow afternoon also before slighly cooler weather and 28-29c on Wednesday.

Been great reading up on all the posts, guessing it's still cold and wet back in Fife Graeme? Some summer Ontario is having this year as Jiries and others have said, looks like the record breaker forecast in April could come true once we look back on this one in September.

And yep, CN Tower is Toronto's main lightening conductor!

Take Care

It's been abysmal, Stewart - worst first half of a summer I can recall. 26 hours of sun so far this month and there's places worse than us (Aberdeen and Edinburgh, for example). In other bad news: unfortunate re Joey Bats http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120716&content_id=35046744&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor 

Back on topic, it's currently 36.2c at Toronto Pearson, with a severe thunderstorm watch in effect:

A cold front is approaching Southern Ontario. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of the front. Some of these storms will likely become severe with large hail, damaging winds, torrential downpours, and frequent cloud to ground lightning. There will also be the risk for an isolated tornado over Eastern Ontario.

http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?on61#on61-3cwto-043100

The approaching cold front will usher in relatively cooler air, though it will still reach 29c in Toronto tomorrow, with the 30s forecast again for the weekend.

It's hot over much of the Plains, Midwest and into the NE States today. A few forecast highs thsi afternoon:

Chicago 98f
Detroit 101f
Kansas City 99f
Washington, DC 99f

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Hello all, summer continues apace here in Southern Ontario with temps above 30c widely today. Currently 32c @ Hamilton Munro and 34c @ Toronto Pearson. The heat interupted by an enormous Thunderstorm yesterday afternoon which literally swamped the Hamilton suburbs, amazing rainfall stats of 66mm of rain in 3hrs recorded on Mount Hope, which is the locale of the airport. Here's the Spec's take on the storm and the clean-up - http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/766359--after-the-storm-heat-algae-and-flooded-basements.

Toronto also saw some Thunderstorm action on Sunday, but at lesser 23.4mm! What a summer generally speaking with another Humidex advisory out for most of Southern Ontario.

Going to get a few days off later this week as i'm off to see the RBC Canadian Open at the Hamilton Golf Club, Ancaster. I will try and remember and post some pics of 'our' summer so far.

Take Care

Here's that Roy Halliday jersey pic i promised Graeme :

Roy Halliday's No. 32 Toronto Blue Jays jersey in the club shop below the Rogers Centre. Halliday a true Jays legend!

Will try and post some more pics tomorrow!

Cheers Stewart, wish we still had Roy. Still, it's a team going places (even if not this year)...

On topic: I see there's a severe thunderstorm warning out for your house, take care! http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?on58#on58-90cwto-046100

Brett's take on things: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/severe-weather-threat-for-ontario/68457

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Big storms and lots of lightning all last night. Was downtown in a bar a few floors up and could see the frequent flashing out of the corner of my eye, but the worst of it came over in the early hours of the morning with deafening thunder that I assume must've woken most of the city up!

Flickr pic someone posted on Facey :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardgottardo/7649012416/in/pool-blogto

Much potential chaos across NY State as a possible Derecho bears down on the area

http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/todays-severe-weather-threat-29803

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Summer-Storm-Tornado-Weather-Forecast-Rain-New-Jersey-New-York-Connecticut-163829006.html