Today’s Dr. Jeff Masters’ Wunderblog is entitled “Hottest rain on record? Rain falls at 115°F in Needles, California” and it appears that California has beaten Saudi Arabia’s June 2012 record for the hottest temperature in which rain was observed to fall and hit the ground.
Dr. Masters’ reports:
“A searing heat wave rare even for the Desert Southwest sent temperatures soaring to record levels on Monday, with Needles, California tying its record high for the date of 118°F (47.8°C). The temperature might have gone higher in Needles, but a thunderstorm rolled in at 3:20 pm, and by 3:56 pm PDT, rain began falling at a temperature of 115°F (46.1°C). Most of the rain evaporated, since the humidity was only 11%, and only a trace of precipitation was recorded in the rain gauge. Nevertheless, Monday’s rain at 115° in Needles sets a new world record for the hottest rain in world history. I don’t think many people were outside to experience to experience the feeling of rain falling at 115°, but if they were, it must have been an uncomfortable, sauna-like experience!”
Most Finns would tell you that 115°F / 46.1°C is barely getting the sauna heated.
And Dr. Masters’ continues in the 2nd paragraph on Saudi Arabia’s previous world record for highest temperature for rain:
“According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, the previous record for hottest rain, which I blogged about in June, was a rain shower at 109°F (43°C) observed in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 5, 2012 and in Marrakech, Morocco on July 10, 2010. The 11% humidity that accompanied Monday’s rain shower at 115° in Needles was the lowest humidity rain has ever occurred at anywhere on Earth in recorded history, according to Mr. Herrera.”
Since I appear to be following in my mother and grandfather’s steps into weather geekery, I have to say that my weather pattern and factoid curiosity for such questions as what is the highest temperature it can rain at or the lowest temperature that it can snow at is satisfied on a regular basis between NOAA, NASA, and Dr. Masters’ weather blog. Thanks!