Posted by Elana Janson on July 30, 2011 at 08:45:50:
Extreme weather in July 2011
Typhoons with greater intensity
Once again the Philippines bear the devastation of greater typhoons.
On July 26 and 27 tropical storm Nock-Ten caused floods and landslides across the island of Luzon, the water waist-deep in some areas. An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, killing people and destroying infrastructure, property and crops. The typhoons have been striking with greater intensity in recent years.
Heaviest rain in a century
On July 29 massive downpours in South Korea -- the heaviest rains in a century - are blamed for 51 deaths. Much of the death toll comes from landslides triggered by the rain. Rain fell in some areas around Seoul at a rate of 50 millimeters an hour (two inches an hour).
Heat wave
A heat wave in the Midwestern United States, Eastern Canada, and much of the Eastern Seaboard had temperatures reaching upwards of 125 °F (52 °C) on the Heat index/Humidex ratings. The intense heat moved eastwards and peaked on July 22, 2011, with New York City breaking the record for the day at 104 °F, which was the hottest temperature the city had experienced in over three decades. Other areas recorded hottest days ever: Newark, NJ all-time record high of 108 °F; Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia at 105 °F; Philadelphia 103 °F; and Boston 103 °F making it the hottest day in 85 years.