Coronavirus. Massive unemployment. Murder hornets. Saharan dust… How could 2020 get any worse, you might ask.
With record-breaking scorching heat. That’s how.
Meteorologists on Tuesday revealed that July could bring unusually hot temperatures for more than two-thirds of the continental U.S., possibly matching the historic levels seen in 2011 and 2012.
A weather outlook released by the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center predicts “increased chances” for above-normal temperatures across most of the country as well as below-normal rainfall levels for the Four Corners and parts of the Central and Southern Plains.
Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist with IBM’s The Weather Company, said a pattern of high temperatures and boiling humidity in July could result in “potentially historic heat.”
“After a relatively warm June, we are expecting July to be unusually hot, with the most anomalous warmth focused in the north-central states Great Lakes region,” he told The Washington Post.
The extreme weather could hit parts of the country as soon as this weekend. Some areas in the Greats Lakes may see temperatures of up to 15 degrees above normal on Saturday, according to the Post.
In southern New England, meanwhile, temperatures could soar past 90 degrees by early next week. In the New York area, temperatures will be “slightly” above normal this Thursday, the National Weather Service projects.
The agency also predicts that limited rainfall and above-normal heat will lead to likely drought conditions for the Southern and Central Plains.