A NEW WEATHER NORM?

I know that one heat wave does not indicate global warming any more than one snow storm disprove it.

Here in Maine we average between three and seven days each summer where temperatures reach 90 degrees, and even those do not necessarily have oppressing humidity.

This summer we are in the 22^st.  consecutive day of temps near or above 90 degrees and with humidity above 80%.   This is unheard of.   Most people in rural Maine do not have air-conditions because the few oppressive days of summer usually have night temperatures dropping into the sixties.   Two days ago, the temperature was 94 with high humidity and the night temperature low was 74 with high humidity – oppressive even at night.  Yesterday the high was 88 and last night the temperature dropped down to 69 - but the dew point was 74 degrees.    It was so damp it felt like we were swilling through the air.

The ocean water on the Maine coast was 70 degrees and a great white shark has recently been spotted off the coast.  So far this summer we have broken the record in seal rescues: seals beaching themselves and requiring medical intervention for stress and sickness. The organization that does this work has run out of money.

It is not just Maine.

There are record temperatures recorded in the southwest.    California is in a decade of drought and has massive forest fires that can be seen from space with smoke reaching Nevada and New Mexico.  

We had three category 5 hurricanes last year and we are just entering hurricane season.

 

Everyone here in rural Maine is weathering the weather but hoping that this is not the new norm. 

the Ol’Buzzard