Well, actually you may be, but these days--this year--it's proving to be hotter than ever before as record heats are hitting everywhere.
About a week and a half ago, we were going through the height of the heat wave where I live. There were days that I swear it felt like the humidity was actually killing me. Well, that might be slight hyperbole.
Last summer about this time I was indoors a lot due to recovering from knee surgery, I didn't feel the intensity of heat, nor the personal intensity of not having my backyard pool. (It had since gone to the above-ground-pool graveyard due to rust and death). This summer, it's hurting not having "my happy place."
But, news reports are telling me it wasn't just me. Though, truthfully, I'm not sure that's a good thing!
Headlines as of late:
- CNN on July 8: "Global Heat in ‘Uncharted territory’ as Scientists Warn 2023 Could Be the Hottest Year on Record"
- Euronews on July 7th: "El Niño is Back: Surging Temperatures Bring Extreme Weather and Threaten Lives"
- Washington Post on July 10th: "A Sprawling Dome of Heat Will Engulf Most of the Southern U.S. This Week. What to Know: Live Weather Updates"
- The Guardian on July 4th: "Monday Was Hottest Day for Global Average Temperature on Record, As Climate Crisis Bites" ~ With sideline commentary being that July the 3rd was the highest global temperature EVER recorded, including record highs in Africa, China, and Antarctica.
I've seen different numbers for that last data point of the Earth's highest EVER recorded temperatures--anywhwhere from "at least 100,000 years" to hotter than anytime in 125,000 years," and certainly more than our recorded data.
Makes sense why I was feeling it! And we have a history of hot here in our recent past, according to the Climate Change Guide website:
So now what? I always go back to the idea of "hope" being a verb. With all these records listed out there, maybe NOW is the time for political leaders to listen. It's time for all of us to take action. Innovation to the rescue. What can we all do to shift the needle--both literally and figuratively?
In the meantime, if it's hot where you are: stay hydrated and keep cool in the peak heat hours in the middle of the day. If you can't where you live, find a cool place like a library or other public space. You can always check out Heat.gov for heat and health related tools and information. Additionally check out the CDC's Beat the Heat infographic.
Title image created with canvas.com, top 10 global chart image from https://www.climate-change-guide.com/hottest-years-on-record.html.
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