Day of the High Lists

We're only two weeks into the 2024 Hurricane Season and satellite imagery and surface observations have already identified a broad area of low pressure over the Bay of Campeche that may gradually develop into the first tropical depression or tropical storm of the season by midweek. The system will move slowly westward or northwestward toward the western Gulf coast and several days of heavy rainfall are expected across portions of southern Mexico and Central America, possibly causing life-threatening floods.  Heavy rainfall is also expected to spread over portions of the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico by the middle of the week and gale warnings have been issued for portions of the Gulf. An Air Force Hurricane Hunter has been dispatched to investigate the system later today.

In addition, a separate area of cloudiness and thunderstorms currently located several hundred miles east of the Bahamas is associated with a surface trough and an upper-level area of low pressure. Conditions could be conducive for development of this system during the next few days while it moves westward or west-northwestward towards the coast of the southeast U.S. on Thursday or Friday.

Temperatures could set a new record today in Pittsburgh, and Detroit could endure its hottest day in 12 years as people in the Northeast and Midwestern U.S. are being told to prepare for days of extreme heat. Temperatures of 105°F are possible in some areas.  Triple-digit readings were recorded in Phoenix and daily records were broken across the Southwest during a heat wave earlier this month, two weeks before the official start of summer. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change, and people in the affected areas are advised to limit outdoor activity and stay hydrated.

Elsewhere in the country, firefighters are battling a wildfire north of Los Angeles that has forced hundreds of people to leave their homes. Known as the Post Fire, it has burned about 15,000 acres of land so far and is only 2% contained.

We know all this because of the good men and women working in the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and NOAA. Bless the U.S. government and its knowledgeable and competent workers.