Today, June 21, is the summer solstice for the planet’s northern hemisphere. It arrived at 4:38 AM Universal Time. Today will be the longest day of the year and the sun will reach its highest point in the sky. Going forward on the calendar from today, days will grow shorter and the noonday sun will begin its slow retreat to the south.
Although today is the first day of summer, daily high temperatures in my central Virginia city have been in the 90s for weeks. The heat index has been climbing past 100° every day, hitting 108° on some days. But with the arrival of summer, central-Virginians can anticipate even hotter weather. That’s when the actual temperature hits 108° and the heat index climbs to 120°.
NOAA and the Japan Meteorological Agency both have May as the hottest month on record. (The second hottest May on record is last year’s May.) There has never been a hotter start to the year than the past five months. Around the globe there were a few spots that were colder than average, but most of the globe was hotter than average.
The day may come when mid-Atlantic coast residents look back with fond nostalgia on those summer days of the early 21st century when daytime highs were always below 120° and the heat index was always below 140°. Just as residents of Beijing are often seen wearing face masks because of the terrible air pollution the city often experiences, future central-Virginians may wear white “space-suits” and carry personal air-conditioners to protect themselves from intolerable heat. And they’ll still argue over why it’s so hot.
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