2010 Northern Hemisphere heat waves

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This article profiles the heavy heat wave that had hit both the USA, parts of Canada, the European continent as a whole and parts of European Russia in the June, July and August of 2010. According to meteorologists, summer extends for the whole months of June, July and August in the northern hemisphere and the whole months of December, January and February in the southern hemisphere.^[1]

June 13-15

In June 2010, Eastern Europe experienced very warm conditions. Ruse, Bulgaria hit 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) on the 13th making it the warmest spot in Europe. Other records broken on the 13th includes Vidin, Bulgaria at 35.8 °C (96.4 °F), Sandanski, Bulgaria hitting 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), Lovech and Pazardzhik, Bulgaria at 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) as well as the capital, Sofia, hitting 33.3 °C (91.9 °F). The heat comes from the Sahara desert and is not associated with rain. This helped the situation with high water levels in that part of the continent.^[2]. On the 14th, several cities were once again above the 35 °C (95 °F) mark even thought they didn't break records. The only cities in Bulgaria breaking records were Musala peak hitting 15.2 °C (59.4 °F) and Elhovo hitting 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).^[3]. On the 15th, Ruse, Bulgaria peaked at 37.2^{[convert: needs unit name]}. Although it was not a record, this was the highest temperature recorded in the country. 5 Bulgarian cities broke records that day: Ahtopol hit 28.6 °C (83.5 °F), Dobrich was 33.8 °C (92.8 °F), Karnobat hit 34 °C (93 °F), Sliven hit 35 °C (95 °F) and Elhovo recorded 36.1 °C (97.0 °F).^[4].

June 30-July 1

As the floods eased in Central Europe and the Balkans, apart from in those in Romania, temperatures began to climb across Western Europe and the UK.

July 2-8

On July the 2nd Brussels saw its hottest day since 1976. France, Germany and the Spanish resort Benidorm have record temperatures ^[5] several heavy thunderstorms hit the Low Swiss Alps , accompany by heavy sleet in some places.

On July 3rd a heat wave hit parts of Ryazan Oblast, and the cities of Bucharest and Budapest, killing a Romanian man with heat stroke. Heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps, accompany by heavy snow in some places.

From July 4-July 9, 2010 the majority of the American East Coast, from the Carolinas to Maine, was gripped in a severe heat wave. Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Washington, Raleigh, and even Boston eclipsed 100 °F (38 °C). Many records were broken, some of which dated back to the 1800's, including Wilmington, Delaware's temperature of 103 °F (39 °C) on Wednesday, the 7th, which broke the record of 97 °F (36 °C) from 1897. Philadelphia and New York eclipsed 100 °F (38 °C) for the first time since 2001. Fredrick, Maryland, and Newark, New Jersey, among others topped the century mark (37.8 Celsius) for four days in a row.^[6]

On July the 6th, 3 low pressure spots trust up towards and settled near the Black Sea after a week a high pressure in the region’s jet stream far northward in its trek through Europe ^[7].

A metrological synoptic pressure corridor ran from Germany and Poland east and northeast to western and north western Russia causing temperatures that were 4C, 8C and in 1 case 10C above the seasonal norm. Both the cities from Berlin and Warsaw to Kiyev, Minsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg may well reach the 33 C to 35 C range^[8].

It had been noticed that since the start of summer, it has already been hot in much of this broad swathe. Berlin and Warsaw have seen 33 C. Highs of nearly 34 C in Moscow broke records. Earlier in June, Minsk hit 30 C and Kiyev soared to 34 C. St. Petersburg has yet to see the 30-degree mark^[9].

By July the 8th a major heat wave hit most of Europe, European Russia and North America ^[10].

Both America’s East Coast and parts of the Midwest have seen record high temperatures, killing 2 people^[11]. The severe heat had bent 1 of the rails on Washington, DC's Metro system, slowing train speeds on a stretch of track on the system's highly travelled Red Line. Both the authorities in Washington DC, New York City, Maine, Quebec, Montreal and Toronto authorities issued safety advice to it’s residents^[12].

Both French and Belgian authorities were on alert to avoid as France 24 reported the death of a Frenchman in the north of the country due to heat exhaustion. As Brussels saw its next hottest day since 1976, while Portugal and Germany experienced record high temperatures over the past week^[13].

July 9-11

The UK declared a heat wave, Met Office Level 2/4, on the 9th July 2010 for South East England and East Anglia. This was after temperatures reached 31.0 degrees Celsius in London and night time temperatures levelled around 21 degrees Celsius.

Swiss Metrological Office reported a record 34.8 degrees was set in Basel and warned of both forest fires in the persistently drought hit southern canton of Valais^[14]. The Swiss Health Office offend the public safety advice^[15]. The ozone level rose badly and was more than twice the permitted level at 257 microgrammes per cubic metre in Lugano on the Friday and were in a generally bad condition across the Swiss Alps as a whole ^[16]^[17]. Extreme heat and ozone levels were also harming tourists at the Gotthard road tunnel ^[18].

The Swiss Ornithological Institute, based in Sempach, said young swifts were stifling to death and others were jumping out before they could fly properly, as temperatures reached 50C in their under the roof nests. Most of which survived at the institute’s care home^[19].

July 12-13

A heavy rainy thunder storm hit Zurich on the 10th ^[20] and the Swiss-French border ^[21]. They also threatened to close the Avoriaz stage of the Tour de France cycel race. ^[22]

On July the 11th, tempuras skyrocketed in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Zurich and Bucharest. More heavy thunderstorms hit the High Swiss Alps, accompany by heavy snow in some places.

40 passengers were hospitalised with dehydration in Germany 3 ICE trains’ air conditioning system broke down in temperatures approaching 40C on the 11th^[23]^[24]. 1,000 luckier passengers switch trains. Deutsche Bahn apologized for it’s ICE trains breaking down^[25].

Hartmut Buyken, chairman of passenger association Pro Bahn, radio station Hr Info that the trains were ruined by cost cutting weren't selling as well in international markets as their French, TGV trains^[26].

On the 12th Both Portugal, Spain, Germany, Britain, Belgium, France, and the Czech Republic all suffered the hottest temperatures of the year, and the heat wave was most likely continue over the weekend, according to German metrolagists ^[27]^[28].

Most of Germany, including Berlin, recorded temperatures of 38C/102 Fahrenheit in some places including the capital Berlin^[29].On the popular North Sea island of Helgoland, the temperature was only 20.5 degrees. In Berlin, the highest temperature was recorded at 102F as 3 more non air conditioned local passengers trains had to be evacuated due to overheating of the interior passenger orifices, leading to passengers getting heat stroke, Duetsche Welle reported^[30]. Hans-Dieter Muehlenberg, chief of a local rescue squad in Berlin told the German news agency DAPD he had found the temperature in a local train had reached 50C/122F and that 9 people were due to dehydration ^[31] According to the German Meteorological service (DWD), the soaring temperatures are set to last for a week ^[32].

The UK recorded its highest temperature of the year, 31.7 degrees C, in Gravesend, Kent, as the British Health Protection Agency (HPA) gave out health advice and claimed there had supposedly been "several hundred" more deaths than normal over the past two weeks and some appeared to be linked to the heat^[33].

Spain suffered 3 deaths, including that of an 80-year-old man. The national meteorological agency, Aemet, warned of exceptionally warm central and southern Spain, with temperatures over the next few days reaching 39C in some areas^[34].

France and Belgium have also seen record temperatures which are predicted to break over the next few days as thunderstorms role out of the Swiss Alps^[35]. Belgian authorities were worried about water shortages as a result of both the hot weather and lack of rain. The water authorities in the eastern town of Bullange warned that several water sources have dried up. The Belgian interior ministry said that three other communes in the southeast of the country have also appealed for emergency water supplies^[36].

On the Saturday, Czech Republic continued to exceeded 100F as doctors in the Czech Republic issued safety advice according to the Voice of Russia^[37].

Just over 30,000 deaths also occurred in 2003, when another heat wave that hit Europe^[38].

July 14 to date

Reflist

^ Meteorological Glossary (Sixth ed.). London: HMSO. 1991. p. 260. ISBN 0-11-400363-7.
^ Жега мори цяла Европа(In Bulgarian)
^ Топло: над 35 градуса на много места в страната (In Bulgarian)
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External links

FEMA: Extreme Heat
Hot Weather Tips
WeatherBug Weather Wrap
Social & Economic Costs of Temperature Extremes from "NOAA Socioeconomics" website initiative

[1] Meteorological Glossary (Sixth ed.). London: HMSO. 1991. p. 260. ISBN 0-11-400363-7.

[2] Жега мори цяла Европа(In Bulgarian)

[3] Топло: над 35 градуса на много места в страната (In Bulgarian)

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