Extreme Temperatures
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Better Earth

Rare 'omega sun' mirage photographed over the Outer Banks of North Carolina

omega sun
© Rodney ChaiA photo of an “omega sun” caused by an “inferior mirage” over the Outer Banks of North Carolina earlier this month.
Meteorologist Rodney Chai has seen a lot. As lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vt., he has dealt with his fair share of wild weather. But when he glanced at the setting sun from the Outer Banks of North Carolina earlier this month, he spotted something new. Chai snapped a photo of an "omega sun," also known as an "Etruscan vase." In his photo, the sun appears to have morphed into a shape reminiscent of a cartoon keyhole. The solar disc resembles a circle balanced atop another circle.

What was actually happening was an "inferior mirage," the product of sunlight being bent upward by a layer of warm air over the water. Contrary to popular belief, mirages are not relegated to hot arid deserts, and instead frequently appear over bodies of water where air temperature varies considerably with height. That can bend, or refract, light, distorting what we see. The result? A picture-perfect peachy omega, sunny side up.

Comment: Various kinds of unusual, rare, and newly discovered, atmospheric phenomena appear to have been on the increase in recent years: And check out SOTT radio's:


Sun

Northern China swelters in record temperatures

People shelter from the sun under umbrellas in Beijing on Saturday
© Greg BakerPeople shelter from the sun under umbrellas in Beijing on Saturday.
Beijing and parts of northern China are experiencing record temperatures, with authorities urging people to limit their time outdoors.

The Nanjiao observatory in southern Beijing on Saturday for the first time recorded temperatures above 40C (104F) for a third consecutive day, according to the newspaper Beijing Daily, citing the national weather bureau.

Temperatures have also soared above 40C in recent days in nearby Hebei province and the port city of Tianjin, prompting authorities to issue red alerts for extreme weather.

In China's four-tier weather alert system, red indicates the most severe conditions.


Comment: Meanwhile elsewhere in the country: Floods force thousands to evacuate in South China


Boat

Floods force thousands to evacuate in South China - heatwave in the north

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Floods batter parts of China following rainstorm. Major flooding has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in southern China, with more rain expected.


Comment: 4 dead, 900 evacuated after landslides triggered by flash floods in southwest China


Better Earth

Earth's thermosphere reaches highest temperature in 20 years after being bombarded by solar storms

aurora
© ShutterstockA vibrant aurora display during a geomagnetic storm.
The atmospheric temperature spike, which was caused by successive geomagnetic storms, suggests the "solar maximum" is fast approaching.
Earth's thermosphere recently hit a near 20-year temperature peak after soaking up energy from geomagnetic storms that bashed Earth this year. The temperature in the second-highest layer of the atmosphere will likely continue to climb over the next few years as the sun's activity ramps up, which could impact Earth-orbiting satellites, experts warn.


Comment: That's unless the sun's activity collapses into sporadic, albeit unprecedented outbursts, which is what mathematician and astrophysicist Valentina Zharkova predicts is occurring amidst what she's calling the Grand Solar Minimum.


The thermosphere extends from the top of the mesosphere, at around 53 miles (85 kilometers) above ground, to the bottom of the exosphere, which begins at around 372 miles (600 km) above the ground, according to NASA. Beyond the exosphere is outer space.

For more than 21 years, NASA has measured the thermosphere temperature via infrared radiation emitted by carbon dioxide and nitric oxide molecules. Scientists convert data collected by NASA's Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite, into the Thermosphere Climate Index (TCI), which is measured in terawatts, or TW. (1 TW is equal to 1 trillion watts.)

Comment: Below is a recent interview by Oppenheimer Ranch interview with mathematician and astrophysicist Valentina Zharkova mentioned above:




Cloud Precipitation

Best of the Web: Over 300 severe summer storm reports across US as dangerous weather continues

Lightning lights up the sky as storms move over
© Al Camardella Jr.Lightning lights up the sky as storms move over Abington, Pa., June 26, 2023.
There were more than 300 severe storm reports in the United States on Monday, mostly along the East Coast from New Hampshire to South Carolina, as threatening weather and dangerous heat plagues the nation.

Gusty winds of 60 to 66 miles per hour were reported from New York to North Carolina, with golf ball-sized hail damaging cars in the latter.

Some areas in New Jersey received close to half a foot of rain, which flooded roadways. There were even tornado warnings in the Garden State but, as of Tuesday morning, no actual twisters reported.


Better Earth

Sea ice unusually close to coast of northern Iceland

sea ice
Icelandic Coast Guard. Sea ice north of Iceland, June 21, 2023.
The Coast Guard flight yesterday discovered plenty of sea ice unusually close to Iceland's northern coastline, which could pose a risk to seafarers. At the same time, parts of the North Atlantic Ocean are warmer than ever before. RÚV reported first.

"We have some very scattered ice coming up to the shore some eight to nine nautical miles from Hornstrandir [nature reserve in the Westfjords], which is closer than we've been seeing lately," sea ice expert Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir, who was on the flight yesterday, stated. Thicker sea ice was also present further out to sea. Although the ice is thin in many places, it could be dangerous for smaller ships, according to Ingibjörg.


Comment: Hornstrandir on a map:

Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir

While the sea of Iceland's north coast is currently cold, south of the island it has reached higher temperatures than ever before.

Comment: Despite the warming in some ocean regions, it seems likely that the unusual accumulation of sea ice further confirms the overall cooling in the region:

Also check out SOTT radio's:


Cow

Brazil cattle die as cold temperatures batters large beef state

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Nearly 3,000 head of cattle died from hypothermia in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state in recent days, according to a statement posted on the website of local veterinary services on Wednesday.

The deceased animals represent a tiny fraction of Brazil's cattle herd of about 224 million head and their deaths and are unlikely to compromise beef production at meatpackers like JBS, which operate in the state.

But they drew attention as they are uncommon. Temperatures in the most affected areas ranged from 6 to 9 degrees Celsius (43 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit), according to local press reports.

Alcides Torres, owner of agribusiness consultancy Scot Consultoria, said local cattle breeds can withstand the low temperatures of the country's winter, which started today.

"Brazil exports live cattle for slaughtering in Turkey below snow," Torres said. "It was the cold but there was something else."


Snowflake

Best of the Web: Snow in June? Freak weather wreaks havoc on Jasper, Alberta - 21.6 inches of snowfall (UPDATE)

Maligne Road by Jasper National Park covered in snow on Monday, June 19, 2023.
© Parks CanadaMaligne Road by Jasper National Park covered in snow on Monday, June 19, 2023.
Jasperites woke up to the white stuff coming down hard on Monday as a freak snowstorm created an unusual start to the week of the Summer Solstice.

Beginning overnight, as much as 40 cm of snow started falling throughout Jasper National Park, creating a flake of bemusement and an avalanche of frustration for drivers, campers, the RCMP Musical Ride team and everyone else.

"We had a developing low pressure system on Sunday over the central portion of the province. That was associated with a lot of cold air aloft flooding into the province, helping create these quite heavy showers over west-central portions of the province in Yellowhead County, including Jasper and especially the Grande Cache area, and the Hinton area all the way to the B.C. border," said Sara Hoffman, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.


Comment: Update June 20

Edmonton.citynews.ca reports:
Roads closed by Jasper National Park, 60 visitors rescued

Due to increased rainfall and snow in some locations, Parks Canada brought 60 visitors to safety after being stranded at Jasper National Park on Monday.

In some locations, the park received more than 100 millimetres of rain and more than 55 centimetres of snow, leading to the closures of two backcountry routes, Miette Road and Maligne Road.

The visitors stranded were hikers on Skyline Trail, paddlers on Maligne Lake, and two full busses of visitors on Maligne Road.

Parks Canada says Miette Road is open for single-lane traffic for those leaving Miette Hot Springs by 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, rangers will provide an update for the opening of Miette Road at a later date.

Maligne Road is expected to remain closed for 48-72 hours to "allow for any avalanches triggered by the storm to come down and to complete debris removal."

See also: Surprise storm dumps June snow at Canadian ski resorts - at least 6 inches at Marmot Basin


Snowflake

Oregon ski resort closes operations due to summer snow storm

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Yesterday, June 19th, Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, temporarily closed summer operations due to late-season snowfall. Today, June 20th, the ski resort's summer operations will be delayed until at least noon Pacific Time.

Check out a video that showcases the glorious surprise snowstorm below.


Snowflake

Surprise storm dumps June snow at Canadian ski resorts - at least 6 inches at Marmot Basin

Marmot Basin
Marmot Basin on June 19, 2023.
Tomorrow is officially the first day of summer, but many ski resorts in western Canada are waking up to multiple inches of snow blanketing the mountains.

Check out the Facebook post below from Marmot Basin, an under-the-radar ski resort located in Alberta.

The resort isn't reporting an official storm total, but there appears to be at least 6-8 inches of fresh snow:


June or January? It feels like I've been asking that question quite a bit this week.

Comment: Elsewhere in North America recently: June blizzard atop Pikes Peak becomes terrifying 4-hours for Colorado ranger: 'A day I'll never forget'