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The much-ballyhooed thunderstorms predicted for yesterday turned out to be a sprinkle. The temperatures are down though, and it has been quite pleasant all day today.

Our forecast hadn't called for a drop of rain, yet we ended up getting about three hours of it early this morning.  My morning walk took place entirely in it.  Lots of thunder and lighting too, for the first part of it.  Today's rain is not predicted to do anything to moderate the solid week of severe temperatures ahead.

It's looking a little rainy here.  I just got back in from a walk, and it was gloriously cool! About 20-25 degrees cooler than it's been the past few weeks! Not going to last, unfortunately, but I will enjoy it while it's here.

Saturday's storms in the Baltimore/DC area left a lot of down trees and wires:
https://wtop.com/local/2023/07/thousands-in-dc-region-remain-without-power-as-storm-recovery-continues/
I saw a local tree company cleaning up fallen tree limbs in my work neighborhood earlier today.

High pressure has pushed us to potentially record breaking high temperatures. The location of it is keeping the rain well away. 
It is HOT.

I had a car repair to handle yesterday, and it took an hour to get one nut off!  It was rusted on and connected to the battery terminal, so I think it was partly fused (when you run electricity through 2 different mettles).  But I was stubborn and persevered to get it off!  I sure sweat through a shirt on that one!  I got the replacement part, but it is nt exactly the same, so I hope that the replacement will fit and work!  It is already hot! 

Finally had a "Gift from Canada" other than smoke.  Down to sixty last night (NY Metro area).  Can't last.

9 am and the heat index is 102.  (actual temp 87)

Quote from: clean on August 06, 2023, 07:03:59 AM9 am and the heat index is 102.  (actual temp 87)

Pretty much how it's been for us for weeks now.  Also, not one drop of rain for weeks.  We're supposed to have a good chance of some tomorrow.  I hope so.

It has rained!  So far no power outages or trees blown down.  Anymore around here, rain that comes without destruction is a cause for celebration.

The extended forecast is calling for highs in the upper 90s this time next week, so our relief won't last long.  We normally see that sort of heat only in July.

We had severe thunderstorms and tornado watch in the metro Baltimore/DC area yesterday:
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2023/08/thousands-still-in-the-dark-tuesday-after-week-starts-off-wet/
It was similar to last month's storms.
Fortunately we didn't lose power in town. Driving home in heavy rain was forgettable.

It looks like the extremes that have affected most of the world this summer are now coming for us.  The extended forecast is calling for a solid week of 100 degree-plus highs.  The temperatures aren't predicted to break records, but this is coming later in the summer than our most extreme summer heat normally comes.  To have to face this on top of what has already been a severe summer is just heartbreaking.  Now I'm afraid that even the winter isn't going to bring any real relief from this.  We've already all but ceased to have a winter season as it is.

Still having three-digit temperatures and heat indexes in the 110s.  We also appear to be having a "flash drought" that has led to burn bans here and in other counties.

Meanwhile Louisiana is experiencing wild fires that, while not as apocalyptic as those seen elsewhere, are unprecedented for what is normally a wet climate.  The smoke has drifted far enough north to affect us as of today.  Just a little taste of what people in other states have been getting so much of this summer.

And, just to cap things off, somebody has apparently fooled around and just started a fire at an oil refinery in southern Louisiana. 

Smoke, though not too bad yet.

102 degrees and 119 heat index here yesterday.  Today it's a balmy 100/106.

Finally, the day after the frightening storm is gray, overcast, and 70s.  Humid though.