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Extreme Temperature Diary- Saturday June 24th, 2023/Main Topic: Texas Heatwave British Petroleum Is So Bad, Meteorologists Are Apologizing For It – Guy On Climate [1]
['Joseph Jones']
Date: 2023-06-24
The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: Texas Heatwave British Petroleum Is So Bad, Meteorologists Are Apologizing For It
Dear Diary. I’m now convinced that what I’ve dubbed Heatwave British Petroleum will get much worse next week across Texas and much of the United States and will reattain a historic CAT4 status. Heatwaves that attain my CAT4 and CAT5 status are killers and eventually get blamed for hundreds if not thousands of deaths, unfortunately, and will be one more common as the world continues to get hotter from carbon pollution.
Heatwave British Petroleum has gotten so bad that National Weather Service meteorologists are embarrassingly apologizing for it. Check out this recent summary from the Washington Post:
The punishing Texas heat wave could expand and get worse – The Washington Post0
Texas heat wave is so bad, meteorologists are apologizing for it
Dangerous heat expected to continue for at least another week and possibly longer
By Dan Stillman
June 23, 2023 at 1:39 p.m. EDT
Heat index forecast through June 28. (National Weather Service)
A brutal Texas heat wave is now entering its third week for some places and shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it could expand north and east and get worse over the next week. The expected intensity and longevity of the heat has forecasters concerned about dangerous and deadly consequences and even apologizing for it.
“Sadly, temps are going to creep back upward next week, too. Sorry, y’all. We’re gonna get back to our typical levels of heat someday, but not real soon. Keep up the fight against the heat!” the National Weather Service in Houston tweeted Friday morning.
The heat was ramping higher once again Friday after easing by only a few degrees Thursday. Six out of the 10 hottest U.S. cities Friday were expected to be in Texas, according to The Washington Post’s U.S. heat tracker, with each city’s temperature forecast to top 100 degrees every day through Thursday. Meanwhile, the heat index is predicted to reach 110 to 120 degrees or higher for an extended period across a large swath of the state. Numerous records could be threatened.
“Oppressive and persistent heat will become increasingly dangerous and potentially deadly in south and south-central Texas, especially to people repeatedly exposed for long durations. Many locations in those parts of Texas have already experienced a yearly record number of hours of dangerously high heat index readings,” the National Weather Service said in a summary of key messages about the heat wave. “There is increasing confidence that the dangerous heat wave will continue through the beginning of the July Fourth holiday week.”
Dangerous afternoon heat will continue in the middle of next week w/ heat indices at least 110 every day. Some locations may experience heat indices from 115-120 each afternoon. Increased risk for heat-related illnesses. For more, visit
https://t.co/rm6V9nEszC #txwx #stxwx pic.twitter.com/fTTAfIP9ZK — NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) June 23, 2023
Computer models project that the heat will be most expansive next Wednesday and Thursday when it could creep north into Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri and also eastward into Arkansas and Louisiana.
Many records already broken
The coming six days of punishing heat follow numerous records that were tied or broken during the past week. San Angelo reached an all-time record high of 114 on Tuesday and then tied that record again Wednesday.
“As much as we don’t want to tweet this … We did hit 114° here at the office in San Angelo today. So that means we have tied our all-time record high, set approximately 24 hours ago,” the Weather Service office in San Angelo said.
Del Rio reached an all-time record high of 115 on Wednesday, breaking the previous record of 113 set Tuesday. June 16 to 22 was Del Rio’s hottest seven-day period on record, weather enthusiast Don Sutherland tweeted. Temperatures on Thursday topped out a few degrees lower at 108 and were forecast to be about the same Friday before trending hotter again.
Some of the other all-time record high temperatures set during the month of June include 118 at Rio Grande Village, 117 at Falcon Lake, 116 at Cotulla, 115 near Laredo and at Cope Ranch, 113 at Carrizo Springs, and 112 at Comanche and Bronte, according to data compiled by Sutherland.
Many locations are piling up the number of hours spent in triple-digit territory. Between June 17 and 21, portions of south and southwest Texas spent 30 to 40 hours, out of a possible total of 84 hours, at or above 100 degrees, tweeted Greg Carbin, chief of the Forecast Operations Branch at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Carbin also posted maps showing a 24-hour average temperature of 100 degrees between the Rio Grande and San Antonio.
Daily average temps over #Txwx, Thu-Tue this past week. Tuesday's average broke 89F for the day. Imagine a 24h average temp of 100F? That happened on Monday between the Rio Grande and San Antonio! #Heatwave pic.twitter.com/4KilGG7DCb — Greg Carbin ☮️ (@GCarbin) June 22, 2023
The humidity has driven the heat index past 110 degrees across most of the state. In Corpus Christi, where the heat index reached 125 degrees Saturday, “13 days have reported the highest heat index for that day going back to 1947,” the Weather Service said.
The heat index reached at least 116 degrees in McAllen for the 10th consecutive day Thursday. “This streak shatters others we found in June, as well as total June days with such occurrences (4 in 2019 and 1998). On all days in the streak, 116+ lasted 1 to 5 hours,” the Weather Service in Brownsville reported.
High temperatures were a few degrees cooler across parts of the state Thursday after severe thunderstorms and a violent tornado struck some areas Wednesday. Crews in Southeast Texas, including around Houston, were rushing to restore power before temperatures climbed again. More than 400,000 customers were without power at one point late Wednesday, but that number had dropped to less than 59,000 as of Friday morning.
Unrelenting heat dome, climate change fueling high temperatures
A historically intense heat dome, or sprawling area of high pressure centered over northern Mexico that traps heat underneath it, was to blame for the ongoing heat wave. Scientists have found that such heat domes are becoming larger and more intense with human-caused climate change.
Computer models project the strength of the heat dome over northern Mexico, swelling into Texas, to hover in the 99th-percentile range into next week — meaning it’s statistically exceptionally rare.
Computer models project strength of heat dome over northern Mexico on Monday to rank around the 99th-percentile for strength. (NOAA)
Climate Central, a nonprofit science communication organization based in Princeton, N.J., has developed the Climate Shift Index, which estimates how much climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme heat. The index is at a Level 5 over southern portions of Texas, indicating that climate change made this excessive heat at least five times more probable.
The heat dome responsible for the current heat wave is expected to persist through at least next week and possibly into the following week. That means an extended stretch of daytime highs in the 100s across much of the state while the heat index could top 120 degrees in South Texas.
As is the case with most heat waves, it is the warm nighttime temperatures that make it especially dangerous.
“There may be more danger than a typical heat event, due to the longevity of near-record or record high nighttime lows and elevated heat index readings,” the Weather Service said. “It is essential to have a way to cool down and interrupt your heat exposure.”
The heat dome should finally start to weaken by the end of next week or the following week.
“We will escalate the heat daily until about Wednesday or Thursday, when things should peak. This will push us into the low-100s for highs, with lows again near 80,” wrote Houston-area meteorologist Matt Lanza. “Should that happen, perhaps we can resume more typical summer weather here in Houston, which while still certainly hot, would be a little less stressful on our bodies.”
Little ray of good news for the searing South #heat wave.
Ensemble models are suggesting a bit of a break in the heat could arrive the week of July 4th as the upper ridge retrogrades.
Still a searing week of heat to wrap up June, though. pic.twitter.com/Gl92CYRC5Z — Jonathan Erdman (@wxjerdman) June 23, 2023
By Dan Stillman Dan Stillman is a meteorologist and editor for the Capital Weather Gang. He earned an M.S. in Meteorology from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences from the University of Michigan. Twitter
Much More:
#SaturdayMorning Reading “Unrelenting heat presents particular health and safety risks to older adults, young children, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions and outdoor workers.” Record-breaking Texas heatwave enters third week
https://t.co/DwUaBgVq4z — Silicon Valley North (@CCLSVN) June 24, 2023
#SaturdayMorning Reading: "As the heat wave expands, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas and Missouri are all forecast to see triple-digit temperatures by the middle of next week." 40 million people under alerts
https://t.co/AarX1monwM via @YahooNews — Silicon Valley North (@CCLSVN) June 24, 2023
Next Wednesday, large parts of Texas will be hotter than 99% of the planet during the peak of the heatwave.
Widespread temperatures of 110˚F or higher are forecast.
Only the Sahara Desert & Persian Gulf area will be as hot or hotter (🟡) than the Lone Star State 🥵 pic.twitter.com/RdSYMjByMg — Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) June 24, 2023
Here are some “ET’s” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
If Sunday's official forecast high of 120F at Rio Grande Village, TX, comes to pass, it will tie the all-time high temperature for the entire state of Texas, first recorded on August 12, 1936, in Seymour—at the height of the Dust Bowl— and again on June 28, 1994, in Monahans. pic.twitter.com/bM3YT3KfI9 — Bob Henson (@bhensonweather) June 25, 2023
As early as Sunday, AccuWeather RealFeel® Sun Temperatures will rise 5 to 15 degrees above Saturday's already impressive values, possibly approaching 115 degrees from northern Louisiana into the suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi, and parts of Arkansas.
https://t.co/UIcyDnCqBP pic.twitter.com/loQYJ4LAKo — Breaking Weather by AccuWeather (@breakingweather) June 25, 2023
Unfortunately the extreme heat is here to stay in Mexico and Texas and it's even here to expand to Oklahoma next days.
In Mexico the heat will also intensify sharply in the West. Temperatures in Hermosillo,Sonora can reach record levels on Sunday (48C/50C). pic.twitter.com/yjNPGU1f3Z — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 23, 2023
Extraordinary heat in #Texas yesterday.
Rio Grande Village near the border with Mexico, rose to 119F/48.3C which is the 3rd highest temperature in Texas history, just 1F shy from the record set in June 1994 and August 1936.
And the station lies at more than 1800 feet asl !
https://t.co/9MOb39gIVn — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 24, 2023
Abnormally warm conditions again in #Canada,now in Labrador.
The minimum temperature at Wabush was 19.7C, which beat by a huge margin the previous record of highest Tmin in June of 17.9C and was very close to the highest Tmin for any month.
https://t.co/HMZvbKitke — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 23, 2023
2023 European Highest temperature returns to Spain again with 42.5C at El Granado.
Over 40C also in Portugal.
But this is just the beginning.
Next days the temperatures can beat records for June in some areas and we might see up to 44C/45C. pic.twitter.com/Mlke7CoohW — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 24, 2023
Records are broken every day in Iran with temperatures are world records levels at high elevations:
Today 41.0C was reached at Kerman at more than 1700m asl which ties its June record and t stands at about 1C from the world record of highest temperature at that elevation. pic.twitter.com/qufzD0hTxu — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 24, 2023
NE China is living the harshest heat wave in its history by far.
Beijing and Tianjin had 3 consecutive days >40C, before they never had 2 consecutive 40C.
Mongolia highlands again above 38C.
Records fall by dozens every day and it will get worse.
Weeks of record heat is ahead. pic.twitter.com/3B9dF9hFz5 — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 24, 2023
New 2023 World highest temperature was set yesterday in Iran:
51.8C at Shahdad ,Kerman Province, in the Dash-el-Lut desert.
Next days more countries can reach 50C in the Middle East and possibly Mexico.
Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/MilljMeN0L — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 24, 2023
May 2023 in #Guadeloupe ,similarly with other Caribbean Islands,was hot and dry;
Particularly hot in the North Islands St. Barth and St. Martin and particularly dry in the Western part of main Guadeloupe.
See rainfall anomalies maps courtesy of Meteo France. pic.twitter.com/J1VSfGyJGg — Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 23, 2023
CRP issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 7:21 PM CDT …RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT LAREDO TODAY…
https://t.co/XtiZCUGTvt — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
EWX issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 7:03 PM CDT …RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT DEL RIO…
https://t.co/iZvsPD0BpV — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
CRP issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 7:28 PM CDT …RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT CORPUS CHRISTI TODAY…
https://t.co/GLzU5altqV — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
EWX issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 7:03 PM CDT …RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT SAN ANTONIO…
https://t.co/TPQE7w9rCI — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
SJT issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 7:03 PM CDT …RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT SAN ANGELO…
https://t.co/zBPSSOmkT2 — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
FGZ issues Record Event Report (RER) at Jun 24, 6:30 PM MST …RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA ON JUN 24…
https://t.co/JavftsBm73 — NWS Record Event Reports (@iembot_rer) June 25, 2023
Here is more climate and weather news from Saturday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)
Introducing The Washington Post's heat tracker. Find out how many people are threatened by dangerous heat this summer and whether your specific location is among them. Great visuals and helpful snapshot information at this link:
https://t.co/BlhABiZmLA — Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) June 24, 2023
Great clip of my friend @NaomiOreskes from her recent Senate testimony:
https://t.co/FhYqPql6Aq — Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) June 24, 2023
Eight essential actions to avoid #ClimateChange ♨️
1. Stop methane emissions 🔥
2. Stop deforestation 🌳
3. Restore degraded land
4. Change our diet 🥬
5. #RenewableEnergy 🔋
6. Use energy efficiently
7. Stop burning #FossilFuels ⛽️
8. Do it all NOW 👏🏽
https://t.co/6gBNQGwmfc pic.twitter.com/74LBjgy9BT — Professor Mark Maslin 👍 (@ProfMarkMaslin) June 24, 2023
The first September 2023 outlook from the Sea Ice Prediction Network (@ArcticResearch SIPN) projects once again that #Arctic sea ice is very unlikely to set a new summertime record low this year. (Internal variability is important)
Read the full report at
https://t.co/tFJgNQ8tfF pic.twitter.com/irhFlvNCP3 — Zack Labe (@ZLabe) June 24, 2023
The #ClimateCrisis and our economic system
"The historical responsibility for CO2 emissions rests with 100 major energy companies. Since the mid-1980s, these businesses have generated 71% of the emissions responsible for the worsening #ClimateEmergency."
https://t.co/NU7DOjKC95 — Prof. Peter Strachan (@ProfStrachan) June 24, 2023
This animation illustrates the warming trends experienced by each country over the past 122 years.
From predominantly blue shades in the early 1900s, the colors shift towards predominantly dark reds in the 2020s.
The phenomenon of global warming indicates that warming is… pic.twitter.com/hxUZR1Z71C — Rosmel Rodríguez (@Ros_Rodriguez_) June 23, 2023
A billionaire emits a million times more emissions than the average person.
Rich governments, corporations, and individuals most responsible for causing the climate crisis must take responsibility for the damage they've caused.#TaxTheRich#ActOnClimate #climate
Vid @Oxfam pic.twitter.com/YUm465IZeI — Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) June 24, 2023
Halt new roads and developments adding to emissions, advisers to tell UK government @glastonbury @StephenJoseph7
https://t.co/WEbV2Jp6C0 — Roger Harrabin (@RHarrabin) June 24, 2023
A secret sale during trump's reign
Port Arthur oil refinery sold to the Saudis
Largest refinery in the USA . Can process 600,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the largest refinery in North America.
GOP little secret#wtpBLUE #wtpEARTH
https://t.co/PbrEYoNdWU — Ask James He May Know! (@JamesClimateGuy) June 23, 2023
Summer is here! But Georgia peaches aren't.
Extreme weather months ago destroyed this year's crop — something that may happen more often in our warming world
https://t.co/FU3Veu6xXI — Dino Grandoni (@dino_grandoni) June 24, 2023
Today’s News on Sustainable Energy:
Guest post: How China’s rural solar policy could also boost heat pumps | @derznovich
Read here:
https://t.co/qoKF2KuXL2 pic.twitter.com/UdWJHyMS0T — Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) June 24, 2023
More Environmental Stuff:
"France now has a Ministry for Ecological Transition. By the end of next year, the nation’s 25,000 most senior civil servants will have been trained in the principles behind this" as part of becoming an "ecological civilisation". Meanwhile, in Britain…
https://t.co/r4ZYv4XM51 — Evan Bowen-Jones (@EcoLlogik) June 24, 2023
Meanwhile, here in Santa Barbara, where I live …
"The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute … has been overwhelmed with an influx of sick or deceased marine mammals with domoic acid poisoning during the past two weeks."
https://t.co/BfsOUQ0aVJ — Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) June 24, 2023
Officials have blocked lithium mining in a desert flat NASA says is needed to calibrate satellites, including satellites used to study climate change.
Read more @YaleE360:
https://t.co/7McwWOlfqr pic.twitter.com/OZPRnzeKGL — Yale Environment 360 (@YaleE360) June 24, 2023
As you see this horrible news from Montana, please remember that the Biden administration is advancing a plan to let oil trains run along the banks of the Colorado River:
https://t.co/UT2nc6cDl5 https://t.co/xq6RnsdxED — David Sirota (@davidsirota) June 24, 2023
And from the Weather Department:
Robust convective African easterly waves, surge of moisture, two tropical cyclones (#Bret & #Cindy) simultaneously in the main development region, all right on time climatologically as it's now late August— o wait pic.twitter.com/WKjuhulgJU — Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) June 25, 2023
The National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado that occurred on Wednesday in Matador, TX was an EF-3.#TXWX pic.twitter.com/UITH68K0SP — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) June 24, 2023
An active Sunday is in store, with multiple areas of #severe weather likely. The greatest #tornado threat will be from central Kentucky to northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana – a few strong tornadoes are possible in that corridor. A large area could see damaging winds as well. pic.twitter.com/hN0NnIar92 — Craig Ceecee, Ph.D. (@CC_StormWatch) June 25, 2023
AccuWeather forecasters say that potent thunderstorms can erupt from Wisconsin to Ohio down southward through the Tennessee Valley on Sunday afternoon and night. Read the full forecast on the severe storms Sunday into Monday:
https://t.co/Ue231OjxcT pic.twitter.com/FYDSa2fk8p — Breaking Weather by AccuWeather (@breakingweather) June 24, 2023
6/24: There is an Enhanced risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms tomorrow (Sunday 6/25) over parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. Scattered damaging winds, large hail, and a couple of tornadoes will be possible. For the latest information, visit
https://t.co/cpnLqiKL4u pic.twitter.com/gKNOzsQHqW — NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) June 24, 2023
Our two Atlantic tropical storms are having trouble keeping their clothes on this morning…#NakedSwirls Although Bret is making one last attempt at firing convection. Those outflow boundaries say "not for long"… pic.twitter.com/ILZTNDDfRQ — Andy Hazelton (@AndyHazelton) June 24, 2023
Tornado-warned supercell (rotating thunderstorm) over Elkhart KS, as seen from 32,000 feet 6/23/23. #midlandusawx pic.twitter.com/BonHIBaEOk — Bruce Jones (@CycloneJones1) June 24, 2023
More on other science and the beauty of Earth and this universe:
In case you are wondering why I might be attacked by Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, and other interesting folk I’ve never met: It’s history and how we got to this dark place is explained in my forthcoming book with @JHUPress @JohnsHopkins
https://t.co/2Bm25ohgCf — Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) June 24, 2023
Last year, a seagrass meadow stemming from a single hybrid plant extended its reach across more than 180 kilometers—an area the size of Washington, D.C. #ScienceMagArchives
https://t.co/acaP305L32 — News from Science (@NewsfromScience) June 24, 2023
A series of photogenic tornadoes formed across south east Wyoming and south west Nebraska yesterday evening. 23 June, 2023. Was wonderful meeting up with friends from afar on my last USA storm chase for the season. Full gallery has been published on
https://t.co/fnvc2tDDzr pic.twitter.com/xESFvx7HdB — Daniel Shaw (@DanielShawAU) June 24, 2023
If you like these posts and my work on record temperature ratios, please contribute via the PayPal widget, which has recently been added to this site. Thanks in advance for any support.
Guy Walton… “The Climate Guy”
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