30th June - Today's News

At 30.5c in my garden, yesterday was the warmest day since 20th July 2006 and the overnight minima of 17.8c was not only the highest since the same date but also the highest I've ever recorded in June. Fortunately weather models are currently in good agreement for a big change starting this coming weekend with next week being much cooler and fresher - good news for me, not so good perhaps for those on holiday. I wonder how long before this past week is forgotten and folk are moaning about another miserable summer and whatever happened to the Met Office's forecast 'BBQ weather'? My guess is around mid July .....

Anyway, on to the news and yet another lightning casualty in Britain - in this case a man struck by lightning whilst standing next to a washing machine. ( btw I've yet to see any lightning since this current warm and stormy spell started, though I did see a few flashes earlier in the month. Not seen a ground strike in years! ) Deaths from lightning are sadly commonplace in parts of Asia and reading that lightning kills 35 in eastern India is not a big surprise.

One for the "tornado or waterspout" debate (which is currently expected to still be raging in 100 years time): waterspout confirmed as tornado.

Argentina drought may halt wheat exports for first time

Heatwave declaration likely as temperatures and health fears rise is a misleading headline to a misleading article. What the Dept of Health consider a heatwave and what the World Meteorlogical Organisation define one as are two very different things. The WMO define a heatwave as 5 consecutive days during which the maximum temperature is at least 5c above the 1961-90 average . In June, the average maxima in England is around 20c. The threshold temperatures given in Britain's heatwave plan are simply those beyond which it is thought people will start to feel the ill effects of the temperature and have no meteorological significance whatsoever. In any case, I'm sure we'll avoid the problems in India's capital as their heatwave sparks Delhi protests.

And finally for today, still in India, they're resorting to weather modification as Indian scentists seed clouds in quest to bring on the monsoon rains.

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