The Global Heat Wave

The global heat wave as seen by satellites, airplanes, and weather stations

By Daniel Wolfe & Amanda ShendrukAugust 8, 2018

It’s not you; it’s hot in here. The Earth is experiencing some of the warmest days on record; 2018 is expected to see the fourth hottest summer ever observed.

Beginning in June, simultaneous heat waves were recorded in Japan, Greece, United States, Ireland, Canada and Sweden. Many nations were hit with particularly sweltering days in July, resulting in temperatures that stand out statistically. Japan, Finland, Canada and Sweden saw more daily heat records broken last month than during any other July in the last decade.

As explanation for the abnormal heat, climate scientists point to a slower jet stream and arid land that reduce the earth’s ability to cool. A collection of high-speed winds moving in concert, jet streams envelop the Earth. Their meandering paths and rotations create predictable weather patterns. When the arctic and antarctic poles warm, the large oscillations of the jet stream slow down. The United Kingdom, a region along one of the northern trajectories of the jet stream, has seen a dramatic example of this effect. As the jet stream slowed, the UK experienced droughts visible from space.