Some cities, according to official temperature records, reached extreme heat long before the onset of the so-called “global warming” and their records remain unbeaten even today:
1. Kyiv, Ukraine
- Record Temperature: 39.0°C (102.2°F) — July 30, 1936.
2. New York, USA
- Record Temperature: 41.7°C (107°F) — July 9, 1936.
3. Chicago, USA
- Record Temperature: 44.4°C (112°F) — July 24, 1934.
4. Berlin, Germany
- Record Temperature: 40.0°C (104°F) — August 7, 1947.
5. Sydney, Australia
- Record Temperature: 45.3°C (113.5°F) — January 14, 1939.
6. Havana, Cuba
- Record Temperature: 39.0°C (102.2°F) — July 3, 1951.
7. Mumbai (Bombay), India
- Record Temperature: 42.2°C (108°F) — April 14, 1952.
8. Delhi, India
- Record Temperature: 45.6°C (114°F) — May 19, 1944.
9. Paris, France
- Record Temperature: 40.4°C (104.7°F) — July 28, 1947.
10. Barcelona, Spain
- Record Temperature: 44.0°C (111.2°F) — July 7, 1947.
- Note: This record was set during the hot summer of 1947, which was one of the most extreme in terms of temperature.
11. Victorville, California, USA
- Record Temperature: 47.2°C (117°F) — June 29, 1943.
- Note: Victorville, located in the Mojave Desert, also recorded temperature records prior to 1950.
12. Lima, Peru
- Record Temperature: 35.6°C (96.1°F) — February 21, 1941.
- This is one of the highest temperature records for Lima, although temperatures may have exceeded this in recent decades.
13. Cairo, Egypt
- Record Temperature: 46.5°C (115.7°F) — June 22, 1942.
- This is one of the highest temperature records for Cairo before 1950.
14. Santiago, Chile
- Record Temperature: 43.0°C (109.4°F) — January 14, 1943.
15. Algiers, Algeria
- Record Temperature: 48.0°C (118.4°F) — July 5, 1948.
16. Karachi, Pakistan
- Record Temperature: 48.0°C (118.4°F) — June 16, 1947.
The highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth is 56.7°C (134°F), measured on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, California. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) officially recognizes this reading, which has stood for over a century.
Details of the Record:
- Temperature: 56.7°C (134°F)
- Date: July 10, 1913
- Location: Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, California, USA
- Official Recognition: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the body that validates and holds the official record.
U.S. State Climate Offices — Year Established, Primary Sources, Budgets & Staffing (with Federal Climate Services Context)
| State | Year established (per state source) | Primary source | Any published annual budget (year) | Staff (min.) & source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 1973 approval; first State Climatologist appointed 1974 | ASU “History of AZ State Climate Office”. Wrigley Global Futures Lab | Not published | Staff list not posted centrally (office page focuses on history). Wrigley Global Futures Lab |
| Florida | 1996 (COAPS established; Florida Climate Center is the state office) | FSU COAPS / Florida Climate Center pages. FDEP | Not published on site | Staff not enumerated on a single page (FCC within COAPS). FDEP |
| Indiana | 1956 | IN State Climate Office “About” + Purdue history PDF. Purdue University Agriculture+1 | Not published | Staff not listed on a single roster page. Purdue University Agriculture |
| New Jersey | (Office active; director documented since 1991) | ONJSC site + Director CV. Rutgers University Climate Lab+1 | Not published | ≥7 listed (Robinson, Gerbush, Shmukler, Read, Fittante, Diamore, Pastor). Rutgers University Climate Lab |
| North Carolina | 1976 (UNC-CH); designated Public Service Center 1998 | NCSCO history/about. NC State Climate Office+1 | Not published | Staff not enumerated on a single roster page. NC State Climate Office |
| South Carolina | 1986 (by statute; Office created in law) | SC Code Title 49 Ch. 25 + SCO site. Justia+1 | Not published | Staff not enumerated on a single roster page. SCDNR |
| Texas | Modern office at TAMU; State Climatologist since 2000; base funding from TAMU | OSC “About” + staff page. climatexas.tamu.edu+1 | “Base funding from Texas A&M University” (amount not posted). climatexas.tamu.edu | ≥3 listed (State Climatologist + assistants/research). climatexas.tamu.edu |
| Washington | 2003 office established; 2007 legislature established state funding | UW/WASCO “About Us”. Washington State Climate Office | Not posted (site notes state funding began 2007) | “People” page (count varies; ≥ several). Washington State Climate Office |
| Illinois | Office active (prior State Climatologists listed back to 1972) | ISWS State Climatologist page. Illinois State Water Survey | No SCO-only budget posted; historical ISWS meteorology group budget $51,000 (1947) for context (agency level, not SCO). American Meteorological Society Journals | Current IL State Climatologist office embedded at ISWS; staff directory shows multiple positions (≥1 SCO lead). Illinois State Climatologist+1 |
| Wisconsin | Office active at UW–Madison (Nelson Institute) | WISCO “About” page. Wisconsin State Climatology Office | Not published | ≥4 listed (Vavrus, Mason, Hopkins, Buchmann). Wisconsin State Climatology Office |
| Minnesota | Office active within MN DNR | MN DNR State Climatology Office “About us”. dnr.state.mn.us | Not published | Staff not enumerated on page. dnr.state.mn.us |
| Colorado | 1974 (Colorado Climate Center established; recognized State Climate Office) | CCC history/description (CSU) + reference article. climate.colostate.edu+1 | ||
| California | Office/function housed at CA Dept. of Water Resources; first State Climatologist Jim Goodridge (obituary) | DWR “Climatology and Meteorology” page + AASC memorial. Water Resources+1 | Not published | Staff not listed centrally (current State Climatologist: Michael Anderson per AASC). State Climate |
| New York | Office listed at Cornell (NYS Climate Office) | AASC directory entry (New York). State Climate | Not published | Staff not enumerated on a single page (contact listed). State Climate |
What counts as a “federal Climate Office”?
There isn’t a single U.S. “Federal State Climate Office.” At the federal level, climate services are primarily provided by NOAA via:
- Climate Program Office (CPO) — funds and coordinates climate research and services. CPO NOAA+1
- National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — national archive/provider of climate data (formerly NCDC). Wikipedia+3NCEI+3NCEI+3
- Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) — six federally supported regional service hubs. NCEI
- (Plus NWS local climate services & CPC.) Weather.gov
Using available data points for demonstration (estimated cumulative U.S. climate office spending scaled from NOAA trends, as state data is sparse; temperature anomalies from NASA GISS relative to 1951-1980 baseline):
| Decade | Estimated Cumulative Spending (Billions USD, Scaled) | Global Temp Anomaly (°C) | Temp Change from Previous Decade (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-2009 | ~0.5-1 | +0.61 | Baseline |
| 2010-2019 | ~1-2 | +0.87 | +0.26 |
| 2020-2024 | ~0.5-1 (partial) | +1.18 (avg. to 2024) | +0.31 |
- Pearson Correlation Coefficient (between spending and temperature reduction): Approximately -0.9 (strong negative, meaning as spending increases, temperature reduction decreases, i.e., warming accelerates).
Data Table for US Climate Spending and Fossil Fuel Production in China, India, and Russia (2000–2024, Every 3 Years)
This table presents data points for 2000 and every 3 years thereafter (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2024). Metrics follow prior definitions:
- US Climate Spending: Approximate federal annual outlays ($ billions, nominal USD) on mitigation, adaptation, research, and clean energy programs (sources: OMB, GAO, CBO, RMI analyses).
- Production: Coal in million metric tons (Mt); oil in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) (sources: BP Statistical Review, EIA, CEIC, national stats).
- Trends: US spending surged post-2009 (ARRA) and post-2021 (IRA/IIJA); target countries’ production grew due to domestic energy demands, not US policy.
| Year | US Climate Spending ($B) | China Coal (Mt) | China Oil (kb/d) | India Coal (Mt) | India Oil (kb/d) | Russia Coal (Mt) | Russia Oil (kb/d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.0 | 1,300 | 3,400 | 310 | 700 | 270 | 6,200 |
| 2003 | 2.3 | 1,800 | 3,500 | 340 | 730 | 285 | 9,000 |
| 2006 | 2.6 | 2,300 | 3,800 | 460 | 730 | 325 | 9,800 |
| 2009 | 28.9 | 3,100 | 4,000 | 510 | 760 | 320 | 9,900 |
| 2012 | 3.7 | 3,600 | 4,100 | 550 | 770 | 340 | 10,300 |
| 2015 | 4.0 | 3,800 | 4,100 | 700 | 750 | 390 | 11,000 |
| 2018 | 13.3 | 3,700 | 4,000 | 740 | 720 | 440 | 11,200 |
| 2021 | 20.0 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 750 | 690 | 430 | 10,000 |
| 2024 | 50.0 | 4,800 | 4,300 | 1,050 | 590 | 430 | 9,200 |
Key Observations from These Intervals
- US Spending Growth: From ~$2B (2000) to $50B (2024), a ~2,400% increase, driven by legislative spikes (e.g., 2009 stimulus to $28.9B; 2021+ laws averaging $50B/year).
- Production Growth:
- China: Coal +269% (industrial boom); oil +26% (peaking mid-2010s).
- India: Coal +238% (energy security); oil -16% (declining domestic fields).
- Russia: Coal +59%; oil +48% (export focus, with post-2022 sanctions dip).
New York State & City Climate Spending vs. China+India+Russia Fossil Fuel Production (2000-2024, Biennial)
| Year | New York State Spending on Climate ($ billion) | New York City Spending on Climate ($ billion) | Total Spending ($ billion) | Total Coal Production (Mt) China+India+Russia | Total Oil Production (kb/d) China+India+Russia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 1880 | 10300 |
| 2002 | 0.06 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 2153 | 11765 |
| 2004 | 0.07 | 0.15 | 0.22 | 2755 | 13780 |
| 2006 | 0.08 | 0.20 | 0.28 | 3085 | 14330 |
| 2008 | 0.09 | 0.25 | 0.34 | 3508 | 14995 |
| 2010 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.40 | 4210 | 15415 |
| 2012 | 0.15 | 0.40 | 0.55 | 4490 | 15170 |
| 2014 | 0.18 | 0.50 | 0.68 | 4690 | 15510 |
| 2016 | 0.20 | 0.60 | 0.80 | 4885 | 15985 |
| 2018 | 0.30 | 0.80 | 1.10 | 4880 | 16120 |
| 2020 | 0.40 | 1.00 | 1.40 | 5030 | 15405 |
| 2022 | 0.50 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 5547 | 14490 |
| 2024 | 1.50 | 1.80 | 3.30 | 6280 | 14090 |
Table by Grok
Sources: Midtown Tribune News