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Central Illinois corn crops show signs of stress as they struggle to grow during a record breaking heat wave with dry weather conditions that are across most of the country. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
The U.S. just recorded the warmest first half-year on record, according to statistics released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The national temperature of 52.9degF was 4.5degF above the 20th century average for the January-June period. Most of the contiguous U.S. was record and near-record warm for the six-month period.
At the end of the month, 56 percent of the country was experiencing drought conditions, which NOAA said was the largest drought footprint of the 21st century. The previous drought records occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, when 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in drought and on Sept 10, 2002, when drought extended across 54.63 percent of this area.
Escalating bouts of extreme weather appear to be turning public opinion against global warming skeptics, according to Jane Lubchenco, the head of the NOAA.
"I think there really is a heightened awareness now, because it is something tangible, it's something people are experiencing themselves - more heatwaves, more wildfires... In the US, I think that the increasing number of extreme weather-related events will help the American public understand that there is a lot at risk and that we do need to be acting more definitively... The heatwaves that we have been seeing in the eastern United States are completely consistent with what we expected to be seeing, and we expect to see more."
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Highlights from the NOAA report:
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The U.S. just recorded the warmest first half-year on record, according to statistics released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The national temperature of 52.9degF was 4.5degF above the 20th century average for the January-June period. Most of the contiguous U.S. was record and near-record warm for the six-month period.
At the end of the month, 56 percent of the country was experiencing drought conditions, which NOAA said was the largest drought footprint of the 21st century. The previous drought records occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, when 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in drought and on Sept 10, 2002, when drought extended across 54.63 percent of this area.
Escalating bouts of extreme weather appear to be turning public opinion against global warming skeptics, according to Jane Lubchenco, the head of the NOAA.
"I think there really is a heightened awareness now, because it is something tangible, it's something people are experiencing themselves - more heatwaves, more wildfires... In the US, I think that the increasing number of extreme weather-related events will help the American public understand that there is a lot at risk and that we do need to be acting more definitively... The heatwaves that we have been seeing in the eastern United States are completely consistent with what we expected to be seeing, and we expect to see more."
* * *
Highlights from the NOAA report:
* * *
* * *
# # #
The U.S. just recorded the warmest first half-year on record, according to statistics released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The national temperature of 52.9degF was 4.5degF above the 20th century average for the January-June period. Most of the contiguous U.S. was record and near-record warm for the six-month period.
At the end of the month, 56 percent of the country was experiencing drought conditions, which NOAA said was the largest drought footprint of the 21st century. The previous drought records occurred on Aug. 26, 2003, when 54.79 percent of the lower 48 were in drought and on Sept 10, 2002, when drought extended across 54.63 percent of this area.
Escalating bouts of extreme weather appear to be turning public opinion against global warming skeptics, according to Jane Lubchenco, the head of the NOAA.
"I think there really is a heightened awareness now, because it is something tangible, it's something people are experiencing themselves - more heatwaves, more wildfires... In the US, I think that the increasing number of extreme weather-related events will help the American public understand that there is a lot at risk and that we do need to be acting more definitively... The heatwaves that we have been seeing in the eastern United States are completely consistent with what we expected to be seeing, and we expect to see more."
* * *
Highlights from the NOAA report:
* * *
* * *
# # #