donsutherland1

So far, 16 locations in France have reached 40°C (104°F) or above today in an ongoing climate change-enhanced extreme heatwave. Pissos has hit 41.5°C (107°F). While one waits for the final numbers from today and coming days that will rank this heatwave as among the worst in French and western European climate history, I created a digital artwork "It's A Crazy World" to symbolize humanity's unwillingness to confront the cause of ongoing climate change. A burning globe stands before a background of climate stripes, transforming scientific evidence into a stark visual record of the world’s ongoing warming. Europe glows with dangerous heat, while a thermometer planted over France reads 40°C. In the lower left, fossil fuel infrastructure appears almost toy-like against the scale of planetary disruption: small in form, but immense in consequence. At the right, a pale sculptural figure (detail from Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s "Ugolino and His Sons" that I photographed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) evokes humanity’s mounting suffering under the pressure of a hotter world. This work confronts one of the central absurdities of the modern age. The evidence is overwhelming and unequivocal. The burning of fossil fuels is driving anthropogenic greenhouse gas warming, and that warming is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heatwaves. Yet humanity continues to extract, burn, subsidize, and consume the very fuels accelerating the crisis with seeming indifference to the harm it is inflicting on the world and its ecosystems. The contrast between beauty and terror is deliberate. The climate stripes are visually elegant, but they record a destabilizing planet. The glowing continents are dramatic, but they signify real risk. The sculptural body, drawn from an image of suffering, gives human form to what can otherwise seem abstract. The quote from a young French climate activist anchors the work in moral urgency, insisting that the crisis is not distant, theoretical, or merely environmental. It is already a question of life and death. "It’s A Crazy World" is about knowing and continuing destructive business as usual anyway. It asks viewers to consider the madness of a civilization capable of measuring its own danger with precision while still choosing to feed the fire.

Absolutely. This ongoing experiment is demonstrating the cooling power trees provide in a warming world.

Through today, JFK Airport has had an average high temperature of 82.50° while Central Park's average maximum temperature is 81.85°. The only June that saw JFK Airport record a higher average high temperature than Central Park was June 2015 when JFK Airport edged Central Park 78.53° to 78.50°.

The weekend will conclude with fair and warm conditions. Highs will mainly reach the lower 80s. Monday and Tuesday will be cooler days. Rain is likely on Monday into Monday night. The potential exists for a general 0.50"-1.50" rainfall. No excessive heat appears likely through at least June 25th. A warming trend could commence during or after the next weekend. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -5.98 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.112 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 82% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 73.7 (1.7° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.3° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Unfortunately, that's the case. Paris-Jardin du Luxembourg hit 101° today, surpassing the monthly mark of 100° set just yesterday. Even higher temperatures are likely during the weekend.

Fair and pleasantly warm conditions will prevail during the weekend. Highs will reach the lower 80s with some middle 80s across the region. Monday and Tuesday will be cooler days. Rain is likely on Monday. The potential exists for a general 0.50"-1.50" rainfall. No excessive heat appears likely through at least June 25th. A warming trend could commence during or after the next weekend. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was +4.15 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.021 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 82% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 73.8 (1.8° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.4° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Parts of the region will see a shower or thundershower tonight. Not all areas will see rain. The wind will gradually diminish overnight. Tomorrow through the weekend will feature high temperatures mainly in the lower 80s. Monday and Tuesday will be cooler days. Rain is likely on Monday. The potential exists for a general 0.50"-1.50" rainfall. No excessive heat appears likely through at least June 25th. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was +3.87 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.261 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 78% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 73.8 (1.8° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.4° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

It will turn briefly warmer with a shower or thunderstorm possible tomorrow afternoon or evening. The temperature will top out in the middle 80s. The weekend will feature high temperatures mainly in the lower 80s. Rain is likely on Monday. The potential exists for a general 0.50"-1.50" rainfall. No excessive heat appears likely through at least June 25th. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -0.91 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.502 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 78% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 74.0 (2.0° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.6° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Temperatures will again top out in the middle to upper 70s tomorrow. It will then become somewhat warmer to conclude the week. A shower or thundershower is possible on Thursday No heat appears likely through at least June 25th. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -3.30 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was +0.250 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 78% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 74.1 (2.1° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.7° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Cooler weather has now returned to the region. Temperatures will likely top out in the middle to upper 70s tomorrow through Wednesday. It will then become somewhat warmer to conclude the week. No heat appears likely through at least June 25th. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -12.93 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was -0.321 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 78% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 74.1 (2.1° above normal). Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.7° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Yes. That's true. With the warming climate, this year's mark will probably fall in the not too distant future.

Showers and thundershowers are likely thie evening and tonight as a cold front moves across the region. Some of the thunderstorms could be strong or severe, bringing strong winds, small hail, and heavy downpours. Cooler weather will return for at least the first half of the week. Temperatures will likely top out in the middle to upper 70s tomorrow through Wednesday. It will then become somewhat warmer to conclude the week. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -24.88 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was -0.712 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 78% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 74.3 (2.3° above normal). That would tie June 2026 the eighth warmest June on record with 1925, 1957, and 2021. Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 2.9° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Newark has reached 90° for the 12th time this year. The old record through June 14th was 10 days. That record was set in 1930 and tied in 1986 and 1991. 1930 finished with 37 90° or above days; 1986 had just 22; 1991 had 41.

Very warm conditions will likely continue through tomorrow. Showers and thundershowers are possible tomorrow as a cold front moves across the region. Some of the thunderstorms could be strong or severe. Cooler weather will return for at least the first half of next week. The ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly was +2.6°C and the Region 3.4 anomaly was +1.3°C for the week centered around June 3. For the past six weeks, the ENSO Region 1+2 anomaly has averaged +1.95°C and the ENSO Region 3.4 anomaly has averaged +0.98°C. The ongoing El Niño will continue to strengthen through the summer. The SOI was -30.44 today. The preliminary Arctic Oscillation (AO) was -0.344 today. Based on sensitivity analysis applied to the latest guidance, there is an implied near 77% probability that New York City will have a warmer than normal June (1991-2020 normal). June will likely finish with a mean temperature near 74.4 (2.4° above normal). That would make June 2026 the eighth warmest June on record. Supplemental Information: The projected mean would be 3.0° above the 1981-2010 normal monthly value.

Four photos from the New York Botanical Garden during a warm June day.