What's more current than the weather?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I sounded too little acres for that size square, because I have lots of experience with acres and pains.

[glatt]

Instead of reading news reports about the fires and trying to interpret what they mean and where they are, just go directly to the source:

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us

And click on "Download KMZ File" which you then open with Google Earth. You will have real time MODIS satellite data superimposed on Google earth to show you where every wild fire in the USA is located and how long it's been burning.

[Lamplighter]

That's a pretty cool download !

[Gravdigr]

Man, there's a lot of info at that site.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Now those anti-climate change hippies are exposed as the terrorist supporters they are. "haha"

The heat in countries across the Middle East has been unbearable this past week, and it doesn't show signs of relenting any time soon, according to the Weather Channel. From Iraq to the United Arab Emirates, the so-called "heat dome" has wreaked havoc on power grids and led to water cuts for many in the region.

The "heat dome" has put millions at risk of developing heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and sun stroke. It has forced people to seek shelter and wade in makeshift swimming pools, and the record-breaking heat has also led to dozens of hospitalizations.

To better understand the extremity of the current weather situation, the first thing you should know is the term "heat index." The heat index is a way of measuring what the temperature actually feels like: the heat index in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran registered a staggering 154 degrees Fahrenheit, over the weekend.

Extreme weather might be more common to the region than elsewhere on the globe, such as North America (which is also experiencing one of the hottest years on record). However, recent conditions have proved particularly dangerous. In Iraq, the government even imposed a four-day mandatory holiday in response to the heat wave.

Link

[Gravdigr]

I would to take this opportunity to document, for the record, that, on August 17, 2015, at approximately 3:00pm, in south central Kentucky, the temperature was 74 degrees.

That is all.

[glatt]

My hands were shaking so violently from uncontrollable shivering on August 9th at about 8PM that I had considerable trouble pushing the button on the rental car key fob to open the trunk and get out a dry change of clothes and towels.

A rainy day in Nova Scotia on rough water in a small zodiac will do that.

[Lamplighter]

You've probably heard of the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.

Here is a satellite image of the northern half of Oregon showing
the smoke from fires in central Oregon and Southeastern Washington.
(The Columbia River is easily identified here.
It is the border between the states for most of it's length.)

The visible smoke is being blown westward and Portland is smelling "burnt".
It was a beautiful bright red sunrise today, and the light has been yellow all day long.

Weird for PDX...

[xoxoxoBruce]

I reiterate, we should be building fire-fighting planes instead of the F-35.

[Griff]

We could be building almost anything and get more value.

[Gravdigr]

We could just stop building the F-35, and be better off. Didn't need it to start with.

[BigV]

The fires here in the Pacific Northwest are record breakers. Over the past couple weeks it was shocking at first and then tragically routine to hear the size of the fires reported in the morning and then a larger size reported hours later in the afternoon newscast. The air in Seattle has been very smoky, rated unhealthy to breathe on a number of days and Seattle's many many miles from the largest fires. Hundreds of square miles, hundreds of structures, three firefighters died last week, very tragic.

[Lamplighter]

We moved last month, and are now at a slightly higher elevation with fewer trees,
so I can walk the dog to various places where I can almost see the horizon in different directions.

Today at ~ 4:30 am I was treated to a new moon and Venus rising together in the East,
with Mars on their northern left - so faint as to be barely visible.
The winter constellations have already made their appearance, so summer is drifting past

I miss all the trees, but it is a new experience for me to see so much of the morning sky in a single view.

.

[glatt]

That's awesome.

Yes. Summer is gone. It's dark when my alarm goes off.

[fargon]

Originally Posted by glatt

Yes. Summer is gone. It's dark when my alarm goes off.

Sad but true.