Fourth of July may lack widespread major heat

The end of June is here, which means the hottest month of the year is imminent for much of the northern hemisphere. Compared to last week, it’s a bit of a breather many spots.

Weather Watch

European heat wave. A national heat record for June was established in Spain on Sunday. The temperature reached 46 Celsius in El Granado in the country’s southwest. Although there are questions to the veracity of the reading, it’s one of widespread records across Europe in recent days — including at very high elevations.

Barely Barry. Barry will join Andrea among storms largely forgotten as it failed to get to 12 hours of named life before landfall. Amid 4 to 8 inches or more of rain in higher elevations, areas of flash flooding were expected in the region where it came ashore along the western Gulf of Mexico coast as a tropical depression Sunday. The Hurricane Center is watching another disturbed area near Florida, as the season percolates to life despite nothing significant for now.

Lightning links

Hurricane forecasters lose crucial satellite data, with serious implications. (Andrea Thompson, Scientific American)

Flossie forms in eastern Pacific, sixth storm in just over a month. (National Hurricane Center)

Storm chasers stalk South Dakota tornadoes. (The Weather Channel)

Tornado looms over North Dakota capital city. (Sky News)

Monday morning weather maps: First look at the Fourth

Somehow, July starts tomorrow. That means the Fourth is right around the bend.

Friday should be fairly timid, as far as summer goes, in the Northeast U.S. and portions of the west in particular. Much of the country will see 90 or higher for the day, especially in the nation’s midsection.

The NWS HeatRisk outlook is similarly tame for the time of year.

A large area will see moderate HeatRisk, with a focus on the Midwest and into the South. For now, only a couple smaller zones of major HeatRisk are forecast. Louisiana and Iowa look to be hotspots for that.

It’s still a bit early to go into much detail on the fireworks forecast, but it also appears it could be worse for most spots.

Storms could roam the Plains, perhaps favoring the international border region with Canada. Florida may also tend toward gray with occasional rain.

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Weekday morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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