Extreme Temperatures
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Sun

Europe sees hottest day of the year in early-season heat wave

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© Weather Underground
Parts of Europe are sizzling on Friday as an early-season heat wave sweeps across the continent. The heat is not particularly intense or dangerous, but it's pretty early the season for temperatures of this magnitude in northern Europe. Late-afternoon highs were surging into the low 90s, particularly in the Rhine River Valley in southwest Germany and eastern France.

Temperatures are steaming at as much as 25 degrees Fahrenheit above average for this time of year. Accuweather's Eric Leister says that some cities, including Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, are seeing their hottest temperatures of the year thus far. The heat and humidity was fueling a line of showers and thunderstorms that's tracking east across northern Europe, with potential to impact the French Open on Friday evening.

The heat wave has likely reached its peak on Friday afternoon, though above-average temperatures will continue to spread south across Europe on Saturday into Sunday, but will regulate to highs closer to normal by early next week. Reuters reports that while the heat is making the tourists sweat in Paris, they don't necessarily mind the brilliant blue sky.

Sun

Highest daytime temperature in the world recorded as heat wave spreads from Pakistan to the Gulf

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© ReutersDealing with a heatwave in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Temperatures hit 50C in United Arab Emirates as heat spreads across the Middle East

The highest daytime temperature in the world on Wednesday was recorded at Sweihan, Abu Dhabi, where the temperature climbed to 50.5C at 12pm local time.

The UAE has recently been enduring a heat wave, which started many thousands of kilometres away.

A week ago, while India was suffering an official heat wave, it was hotter still in the middle of Pakistan. In the Indus Valley, temperatures were daily at 48C and 49C.

Nawabshah, north of Hyderabad, registered at least 49C for four days in a row. May 24 saw the highest temperature of Pakistan's heat wave: 49.5C in Nawabshah.

This heat did not just go away, it has been blown gently south, through the Indus delta, over Gwadar, into the Arabian Sea. Indeed, as June came in, Gwadar's temperature shot up ten degrees to 48C for two days in a row.

This hot air, loaded with dust which is visible by satellite, has now reached Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Temperatures here have risen three to five degrees since the start of June.

On Wednesday, Khasab, Sunayah and Fahud, all in Oman, each measured 49C. This looks like a record-equalling high for Khasab, on the Musandam peninsula. This region is known as Oman's 'Norway of Arabia', with its fjord-like inlets and cliffs overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.

The UAE's heat wave also affected Ras al-Khaimah, recording two successive days at 47C, while Sharjah notched up 46C and the city of Dubai 45C.

Snowflake

Rains and snow lash Kashmir as chill returns

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© Aman Farooq/GKThe chilly conditions forced the people Kashmir to wear more warm and woolen clothes. The plains, including Srinagar, were lashed by heavy rains.
With upper reaches receiving fresh snowfall, Kashmir, Thursday witnessed chilly conditions even as Meteorological department predicted light to moderate rains during next 24 hours.

"The areas above the height of 3000 meters above sea level have received fresh snowfall," the MeT officials said here. "Fresh chilly conditions are result of the fresh snowfall."

The chilly conditions forced the people Kashmir to wear more warm and woolen clothes. The plains, including Srinagar, were lashed by heavy rains.

The Met officials said that Srinagar recorded 6.0mm of rainfall, Pahalgam 9.4mm, Kupwara 10.1mm, Qazigund 14.7mm, Kokernag 15.6mm and Jammu 0.2.

Snowflake

Snowfall on roads in North Iceland

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© RUV Road in Iceland
Mountain passes and many other roads in the West Fjords, North Iceland and the East Fjords were subject to snowfall last night, causing snowy and slippery driving conditions. The Icelandic Met Office has forecasts sleet or rain in North and East Iceland today.

Travelers intending to drive Dynjandisheiði, Steingrímsfjarðarheiði and to Árneshreppur in the West Fjords should be aware of the winter conditions, ruv.is reports.

Parts of Siglufjarðarvegur in North Iceland are icy and there are icy and/or snowy conditions on the roads across Fjarðarheiði, Vatnsskarð eystra, Mjóifjörður, Möðrudalsöræfi, Vopnafjarðarheiði, Breiðdalsheiði and Öxi in East Iceland.

Due to repairs, parts of the road by Dettifoss waterfall in Northeast Iceland are only passable for 4x4 vehicles.

The weather is currently sunny in Reykjavík and South Iceland but conditions are expected to turn cloudy with some rain in the afternoon.

Snowflake

June snow falls over Scotland's mountains

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Snow on Aonach Mor on Tuesday
Snow has been falling over upland areas of Scotland.

Glencoe Mountain and Nevis Range snowsports centres have been among places to report having coverings of snow.

A picture by Mark Trigg for his Facebook page Back Corries shows a thick covering on Aonach Mor.

The picture has been shared on Twitter by Iain Cameron, who studies and writes about snow, and Lomond Mountain Rescue Team.

In a message below the photograph, Mr Cameron said: "This is 1pm on Tuesday the 2nd of June on Aonach Mor and this is just ridiculous. Unprecedented, perhaps."

The rescue team has also asked if anyone can remember a longer winter season.


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Snow at the Glencoe Mountain ski centre on Tuesday

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Snow at Nevis Range near Fort William on Monday

Snowflake

'January in June' in Norway strands drivers

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© Statens vegvesen This was the scene on Highway 50 between Hol and Aurland Tuesday morning. The road had to close because of heavy snow and poor visibility.

"It was incredible to wake up to a full snowstorm in June," Sigurd Bjåen of Hovden, in the mountains of southern Norway, exclaimed on national radio Tuesday morning. The heavy and drifting snow forced closure of several highways, with others open only for convoy-driving behind snowplows.

The state highway department (Statens vegvesen) warned of delays of up to three hours for those waiting to join convoys on Highway 7 over Hardangervidda, for example. The main Highway 134 over Haukelifjell had to close again after briefly reopening Monday evening, and Highway 51 over Valdresflye was also closed.

On Highway 55 over Sognefjellet, emergency crews had to rescue 39 people from 17 vehicles that got caught and partially buried by the snowstorm Monday afternoon. "We couldn't see a thing," Terje Weka, an experienced snowplow driver, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). "There was so much wind and zero visibility. It was difficult to work, we had to just feel our way forward." That highway was closed as well.

Snowflake Cold

Australia's first day of winter brings lowest temperatures in forty years

NSW snow
The NSW alpine resorts of Perisher (pictured) and Thredbo turned white overnight as 30cm of snow blanketed the mountains with lows of minus nine degrees
Australia is experiencing the coldest start to winter in forty years after parts of the country were buried under a foot of snow.

Temperatures plunged as low as minus nine degrees Celsius as the alpine resorts of Perisher and Thredbo in New South Wales disappeared underneath a blanket of snow on Monday evening.

Average winter temperatures across New South Wales are typically between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius.

It got as cold as 6.1 degrees Celsius in the City of Sydney, making it the chilliest morning the region has seen since 1987. Falls Creek in Victoria also received 20cm of snow overnight and Mount Buller recorded8cm, while Melbourne got off to its coldest morning in almost 40 years.


Snowflake

School bus blown off road in June snowstorm, Norway

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The school bus at Haukelifjell blew right off the road
1 June 2015 - It's like full winter at Sognefjellet.

Thirty-nine people have been rescued and 17 cars are stuck in the snow.

A snow plow is on its way, but it is uncertain how long it will take to get to the vehicles.

Also, many people are without power due to falling trees.

Thanks to 996bip for this info

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© Webcam / SognefjellhyttaFull snowstorm: several cars stuck at Sognefjellet.

Snowflake

Late May snowfall hits Tianshan Mountain in Hami, China

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© Photo/XinhuaTourists walk past snow covered yurts at a scenic spot in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, May 31, 2015. Hami witnessed a snowfall on Sunday.

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© Photo/XinhuaPhoto taken on May 31, 2015 shows Malan flower covered in snow on grassland in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

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© Photo/XinhuaTourists trek on snow-covered Tianshan Mountain in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, May 31, 2015.

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© XinhuaA man makes snowballs on grassland in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, May 31, 2015.

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© XinhuaCows graze on the snow-covered grassland in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, May 31, 2015.

Ice Cube

Record Antarctic ice: Mawson base may have to relocate

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Mawson base
The record busting growth of Antarctic ice is threatening the viability of Australia's Mawson Antarctic research station.

According to The Australian;
"Satellite observations show a new daily record being set for ­Antarctic sea ice every day for the past two weeks. Annual records have also been broken every year for the past three years.

Rob Wooding, general manager of the Australian Antarctic Division's Operations Branch, said expanding sea ice was now causing serious problems.

Last year, fuel supplies were flown to Australia's Mawson base by helicopter because the harbour had failed to clear. Dr Wooding said the situation was "unsustainable".

He said it was possible for the Aurora Australis icebreaker to break through a certain amount of sea ice to enter the harbour, and the planned capability of a replacement icebreaker would increase the ability to do this.

But conditions experienced last year of thick sea ice, with snow cover, extending out 40 to 50km could not regularly be navigated by any Antarctic resupply vessel.

"If we were to face such a situation at Mawson for three or four successive seasons, it would be unlikely that we could continue to resupply the station under the current operating model," he said. "Unless we could find an alternative resupply strategy, questions would arise as to the ongoing ­viability of the station."
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