All-time July national heat records fall on three continents

By Jeff Masters
3 July 2015 (Weather Underground) – Brutally hot conditions fried portions of three continents during the first three days of July, and four nations have already set all-time July national heat records this month: the Netherlands, the U.K., Thailand, and Colombia. Below is a break-down of the July national heat records set so far this month, courtesy of weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera.

Europe

The temperature in Maastricht, the Netherlands, hit 100.8°F (38.2°C) on July 2, setting an all-time July heat record for the nation. According to data from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, only two other hotter temperatures have been recorded in the nation: 101.5°F (38.6°C), on August 23, 1944 at Warnsveld, and 101.1°F (38.4°C), on June 27, 1947 at Maastricht. Thanks go to wunderground member cRRKampen for this info. According to to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, three stations in the Netherlands set all-time (any-day) highs Thursday:

Volkel (Netherlands), 36.9°C

Twenthe (Netherlands), 36.1°C

Leeuwarden (Netherlands), 34.0°C

Mr. Herrera notes that the Netherlands’ all-time hottest temperature in 1944 was surely beaten on July 2, 2015, but all stations in the warmest area were closed many years ago. For example, the city of Maastricht itself, where Thursday’s near-record 100.8°F (38.2°C) was recorded at the airport, is slightly warmer in its downtown (perhaps by 1°C) than at the airport station (which is more elevated), but the town station doesn’t exist any longer. He also pointed out that Belgium’s official all-time hottest temperature is 101.8°F (38.8°C), measured on June 27, 1947. However, according to the Belgian Meteorological Agency, RMI, this value was likely 2.2°C too high, due to improper measurement techniques. If we make this correction, Belgium’s all-time hottest temperature was beaten on Thursday, as well as during the 2003 and 2006 heat waves. And in Paris, which measured its 2nd hottest temperature in its history on July 1 (39.7°C), the Paris Observatory had its grass watered (as it should be), but the grass was never watered for the record value of 40.4°C of 1947. This could have been the difference between the two measurements. London’s Heathrow Airport hit 98.1°F (36.7°C) on July 1, setting an all-time July heat record for the UK. Previous record: 97.7°F (36.5°C) in Wisley on July 19, 2006.

Asia

On July 2, the mercury hit 105.8°F (41.0°C) at Kamalasai, Thailand, setting a mark for the hottest July temperature ever recorded in that nation. Previous record: 104.4°F (40.2°C) at Uttaradit on July 12, 1977. Approximately half of all the reporting stations in Thailand set their all-time July monthly heat records on July 1 or July 2 this year. UPDATE: Today (Friday, July 3), Kamalasai, Thailand bested yesterday’s July record with a reading of 106°F (41.1°C).

South America

On July 1, Urumitia, Colombia beat that nation’s all-time July national heat record, with a 108°F (42.2°C) reading. Urumitia also set Colombia’s all-time June heat record last week on June 27, with a 107.6°F (42.0°C) mark. [more]