The new hottest place on Earth: Death Valley, California
As any weather aficionado can avow, Earth's most iconic weather record has long been the legendary all-time hottest temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) measured 90 years ago today at El Azizia, Libya on September 13, 1922. One hundred thirty six degrees! It's difficult to comprehend that heat like that could exist on our planet. For 90 years, no place on Earth has come close to beating the unbelievable 136 degree reading from Al Azizia, and for good reason--the record is simply not believable. But Earth's mightiest weather record has been officially cast down. Today, the official arbiter of Earth's weather records, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), announced that the all-time heat record held for exactly 90 years by El Azizia in Libya "is invalid because of an error in recording the temperature." The WMO committee found five major problems with the measurement. Most seriously, the temperature was measured in a paved courtyard over a black, asphalt-like material by a new and inexperienced observer, not trained in the use of an unsuitable replacement instrument that could be easily misread. The observer improperly recorded the observation, which was consequently in error by about 7°C (12.6°F.) The new official highest hottest place on the planet is now Death Valley, California. A remarkable high temperature of 56.7°C (134°F) was measured there on 10 July 1913, at Greenland Ranch.
Figure 1. The trading post at Al Azizia, Libya in 1923. The photo was taken from the Italian military fort located on a small hill just south of the trading post. It was at this fort that the temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) was observed on Sept. 13, 1922 (used with permission from the family of Gen. Enrico Pezzi).
The story behind the overturning of Earth's most hallowed weather record
Today's announcement is the culmination of a 3-year research effort begun by wunderground weather historian, Christopher C. Burt. His blog post today, World Heat Record Overturned--A Personal Account, provides a fascinating detective story on how the record came to be cast down--and how the Libyan revolution of 2012 almost prevented this from happening.
Figure 2. The new official hottest place on the planet: Death Valley, California. Wide open spaces, infinite views, intensely salty water, mind-boggling heat. What's not to love about this place? Image credit: Wunderphotographer SonomaCountyRAF.
Dead Heat: The Video
Don't miss the 25-minute wunderground video, Dead Heat, a detective story on how the El Azizia record was overturned.
Atlantic tropical update
Tropical Storm Nadine is recurving to the northwest and north well east of the Lesser Antilles Islands, on a track that would likely keep this storm far out at sea away from any land areas. However, Nadine may eventually threaten the Azores Islands or Newfoundland; the models are divided on how the steering currents will evolve next week, and we cannot be sure which way Nadine will go during the middle of next week.
The models predict that a trough of low pressure off the U.S. East Coast may serve as the focus for development of a non-tropical low pressure system on Sunday or Monday, but this low will likely form too far to the north to become a tropical storm. The GFS model has been predicting a tropical wave coming off the coast of Africa may develop next week, but has not been consistent with the timing or location of the development.
In the Western Pacific, Super Typhoon Sanba is an impressive top-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, and is headed north-northwest towards a possible landfall in Korea early next week.
Given the importance of the new world record all-time high temperature, I'll leave this post up until Saturday afternoon, when I'll post an update on the tropics.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Somethings' wrong with that model. The cold front is supposed to be over Central AL on Tuesday. The cold air should be over MSP on Monday, so it seems like snow, if it was going to happe, should be then. It does look like a pretty significant pool of cold air coming down so I guess it's remotely possible that MSP could get some flurries on one day next week but not likely.
If any of you are the latter type, please stay far away from my house. :\
IMO, there's little to no chance Sanba will be the largest weather/climate event of the year, as any regular reader of this blog, or newspapers in general, can attest. In fact, I doubt it will even rate in the top 20. There have been so many large events effecting more people--floods, droughts, fires, and the like--that a powerful typhoon striking an area that gets hit frequently by powerful typhoons would have to do something incredibly amazing to make it to the top of the list. (IMO, the rapid disappearance of the Arctic sea ice will be number one, unless something huge happens between now and December 31.)
BTW, Dr. Masters posted this blog topic just 48 hours ago--that is, when the World Meteorological Organization broke news of the Libyan record's decertification--not the three days you wrote of.
Nadine may have other plans
Link
Ya know, looking at the models, I think Grothar's right about the westward turn near the end of five days out. The Westerlies are starting to weaken and there should be a large trough out in the central Atlantic then. Nadine may feel that weakness and turn to the west. I don't know if she will still be a hurricane but, given the number of strong hurricanes above 30N this year, it's an interesting possibility.
00z Euro
Nice Isaac, I'm off to a 4hr SWIM PRACTICE, tell the storms to wait that long to intensify much okay?
Timing is everything with Nadine, as to whether it continues east of turns back west, whatever happens, Grothar saw it first.
Hi. I agree with everything except one thing.
While Okinawa may be hit by strong typhoons frequently, Korea is not. During the last month, two consecutive typhoons made landfall here in Korea (well Tembin was a TS when it got here) by a gap of five days. We certainly do not need a third typhoon in a row.
its got model support so thats why the SPC is talking about it..
00z CMC
The NAEFS ensemble is in good agreement and does take the 1000-500 mb thickness down below 540 dm over Minneapolis by Tuesday am which is the usual rain/snow transition point east of the Rockies. When you see drops of 20 dm+ in 24 h that usually means pretty darn windy behind the cold front too. Flurries are quite possible.
Nea, please re-read my post. I didn't agree with the anti-AGW rant. I don't even agree with the general tone of the post. I do agree that, underneath the anger, he may have a point. If Samba hits Korea as a strong typhoon, it will be a big story. Even your assumption that a 150 mph typhoon hitting Okinawa is no big deal might be different if you were there right now. As I said, someone other than Dr. Masters could have added an update about Sanba to the blog while leaving the rest intact. I'll concede the point about two days vs. three days but the point about poor planning still stands. I'm quite certain a 150 mph hurricane headed anywhere in the CONUS or Carribean would have rated at least a mention in the blog. As Dr. Masters himself stated, he doesn't pay as much attention to the Western Pacific as he should, thus my point stands.
Its a giant trough/cold front...things like this are to be expected in fall, so we shall see how severe the storms can get in lackluster instability.
ALERT ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS
0530 AM CDT SAT SEP 15 2012
TO: SOUTHERN REGION ALL
FROM: SOUTHERN REGION ROC
SUBJECT: WEB OUTAGE/SR WEBPAGES UNAVAILABLE
THE SR SERVER IS CURRENTLY DOWN. WITH THIS OUTAGE, YOU WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO ACCESS THE INTERNET AND ALL SR WEBPAGES ARE UNAVAILABLE. WE
HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE TOC AND ARE CURRENTLY REACHING OUT TO
SRH PERSONNEL THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. WE WILL
SEND OUT ADDITIONAL STATUS MESSAGES WHEN WE GET MORE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
i was wondering what was going on, thanks
Nadine
It looks to set up to the east of me again, I haven't got a good storm in a while.
I was only able to tell hurricane Isaac to hold off on intensity and to strengthen since we have the same name. All the other storms that form I have no power over them.
WOW, no concern for any other human being that might be killed or injured in this storm?? Just AMERICANS? It is folks like you that contribute to other countries disliking (and hating) America. I am concerned for anyone in the path of this monster storm..men, women, children. The potential loss of life and property is a serious situation. AND, this is Dr Master's blog...if you don't like, please leave.
Pacific Storm Tracker Blog
10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, Japan time: Okinawa entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1-C (caution) at 10:21 p.m. Winds of 44 mph and 58-mph gusts are occurring. Stay tuned for upgrade to 1E.
When last heard from, he was a broadcaster on a TV station in Tokyo.
Typhoon Sanba landfall update.
Any comments on if it's annular or not?
Wave at 12N 53W looking better.
SPECI RODN 151417Z AUTO 06037G52KT 4SM R05/3500V5000FT RA BR OVC017 26/26 A2928 RMK AO2 PK WND 05052/1410 CLDS LWR RWY23 PRESFR SLP916
WU has a good page where you can get these observations.
Link
So much for understanding what free speech actually means.
He's free to take his opinions elsewhere, but this here is Dr. M's blog. It's not a free board where people can post whatever the hell the want. Dr. M and/or his administrators are perfectly free to ban/block/remove any user or content that they see fit. They are also free to discuss any topic they want, because it is their blog.
You either play by the rules and maintain at least some level of cordiality or suffer the consequences. This is no different from any other place on the internet.
As has been stated by several others, if you or anyone else is unable or incapable of accepting this, then you are free to find another site.
Heavy rainstorms in forecast as Typhoon Sanba nears Korean Peninsula
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- Heavy rainstorms are forecast across the country this weekend as another major typhoon makes its way toward the Korean Peninsula, weather officials said Saturday. Typhoon Sanba, positioned about 470 kilometers south-southeast of Okinawa, Japan, was traveling north-northwestward at a speed of about 18 kilometers per hour as of 9 a.m. Saturday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The typhoon, named after a city in Macau, has maximum winds of 53 meters per second, officials added. Sanba is expected to reach South Korean waters, about 60 kilometers east-southeast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, by around 9 a.m. Monday. It will then likely land on South Jeolla Province in the southwestern region and pass through the country heading east.
Officials said Sanba could be one of the strongest typhoons to ever hit South Korea, almost as devastating as Typhoon Maemi, which left 132 dead and caused massive property damage in 2003. Sanba is the third typhoon to approach South Korea in the past month, following Bolaven and Tembin in late August.
Sanba is expected to bring heavy rains nationwide starting Sunday, first on Jeju Island then to all parts of the nation by late night. Officials said Jeju and southern coastal regions could have more than 20 millimeters of rain per hour from early Sunday.
A KMA official said a special typhoon alert will likely be issued for Jeju early Sunday and then the rest of the country by Monday.
It has a lot of banding. Not annular.
http://www.stripes.com/blogs/pacific-storm-tracke r/pacific-storm-tracker-1.106563/typhoon-17w-sanba -19-1.189414
Typhoon 17W (Sanba), # 19
By DAVE ORNAUER
Published: September 15, 2012
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, Japan time: OK, now we're at Sanba's mercy. No scientific formula to determine EXACTLY when we move off of Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1 into 1-C or 1-E. It all depends on how soon we experience SUSTAINED 40-mph winds (1-C) and 58-mph winds (1-E).
That said, Kadena remains in TCCOR 1, while Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan and all Area IV installations in Daegu, Chinhae and Pusan, South Korea, remain in TCCOR 3. Expect those to change in very short order as Sanba Sambas further north.
Kadena has already been feeling 25-mph winds and 41-mph gusts. Ginowan, near Camp Foster and Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, reported a 43-mph gust.
It's bound to get worse before it gets better, folks. This is a very well-organized storm, with deep convective banding and a very well-defined eye about 29 miles wide. The eye will pass about 14 miles east of Kadena at about 5 a.m., during which time one might note that the winds and rain have ceased and the dawn coming up like thunder (although your eardrums might feel like they do when you're on a commercial jet). Again, avoid any and all temptation to go outside. The back-side winds, in the opposite direction and likely more fierce than before, will kick in at any time.
AL, 14, 2012091512, , BEST, 0, 308N, 506W, 70, 983, HU,
TROPICAL STORM KRISTY ADVISORY NUMBER 13
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP112012
800 AM PDT SAT SEP 15 2012
...RESILIENT KRISTY STILL A TROPICAL STORM...
SUMMARY OF 800 AM PDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...22.4N 115.0W
ABOUT 325 MI...525 KM W OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 315 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1002 MB...29.59 INCHES
HURRICANE NADINE ADVISORY NUMBER 17
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL142012
1100 AM AST SAT SEP 15 2012
...NADINE A LITTLE STRONGER AND MOVING EAST-NORTHEASTWARD...
SUMMARY OF 1100 AM AST...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
-----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...30.9N 49.9W
ABOUT 880 MI...1420 KM E OF BERMUDA
ABOUT 1390 MI...2235 KM WSW OF THE AZORES
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH...130 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 70 DEGREES AT 15 MPH...24 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...983 MB...29.03 INCHES
TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWELVE-E ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP122012
800 AM PDT SAT SEP 15 2012
...NEW TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN THE TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC...
...NO THREAT TO LAND...
SUMMARY OF 800 AM PDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...14.0N 123.5W
ABOUT 1080 MI...1740 KM WSW OF THE SOUTHERN TIP OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...35 MPH...55 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 270 DEGREES AT 6 MPH...9 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1003 MB...29.62 INCHES
This happened about two weeks ago as well but even worse. It took down all the weather radios, weather radar, and web access. There's something seriously wrong with the Southeast NWS networks and I hope they get it figured out and fixed soon.
Strong Storm Taking Aim on Alaska's Southern Mainland this Weekend
A powerful autumn storm is forecast to bring strong wind and heavy rain to much of Southcentral Alaska beginning Saturday evening. Due to recent rainfall, the ground is saturated leading to a greater risk of flooding and fallen trees. Significant power outages are possible. Winds in Anchorage could gust to 65 mph, and farther east in the higher elevations winds could gust to 110 mph
There should be a space between the Yes. and We in your sentence. :)
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