So exactly how unprecedented is this 43C forecast for New Westminster?
Just to give ourselves a bit of an idea how we stand on a global scale, the East End Bureau decided to do some Googling this morning to check the status of weather in some typical world hot spots.
Here, for the record, are 10 of those hot spots that are forecast to be cooler than New West today:
1. Perth, Western Australia:
OK, this one wasn't really a fair fight, because Perth is in the Southern Hemisphere and just starting winter. But we needed to look it up anyway just to see that, in fact, in hot, dry, roasty Perth, it's going to be 17C and rainy today.
2. Venice, Italy:
You know humid heat that makes for such languorous afternoons in one of the world's favourite places? Yeah, it's only hitting 29C there today. No contest.
3. Mumbai, India:
The 20 million or so citizens of India's largest city are seeing a high of 31C today. (Oh, and a thunderstorm.)
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
It's thunderstorm time on the often sweltering streets of Malaysia's capital city. But it's not what you'd call hot, really, what with a high of 32C today.
5. Bangkok, Thailand:
Yes, thunderstorm season is clearly upon Southeast Asia, as Thailand's capital is also seeing storms today – but a high of a paltry 34C.
6. Athens, Greece:
Been to Athens in the summer? You undoubtedly drank a lot of water, slathered on the SPF and still couldn't keep the sun at bay. Well, it's a mere 36C there today.
7. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:
With an average June high temperature of 40C, Abu Dhabi is no stranger to extreme heat. Today, though? 39C. Pfft.
8. Cairo, Egypt:
There's just a light smattering of cloud over Cairo today, apparently, where the temperature is also expected to reach 40C. Forty? Ha. We laugh in the face of 40.
9. Phoenix, Arizona:
I mean, it's Arizona. If you expect a forecast to be anything other than hot and dry, look elsewhere. In any case, it's expected to be clear and sunny in Phoenix today, with a high of – wait for it – 42C. Almost, but not quite as high as New Westminster.
10. Las Vegas, Nevada:
If you've ever wandered the Strip in summer, you'll know this city can pretty much melt you. Well, today's no exception, with a nice scorching 42C and a little bit of cloud. Hot? Well, yeah. But still a teeny-tiny bit lower than us.
But we didn't beat ...
There was, however, one world hot spot we checked out that New Westminster is not beating today. And that's probably just as well, because who'd want to be hotter than the place where the world's hottest-ever recorded temperature was measured? We speak, of course, of Death Valley, California, which is projected to hit 49C today and thus leave us in the quite literal dust.
On the up side, though, that's nowhere near the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth, which was, reportedly, 56.7C in 1913.
Does 43C feel cooler yet?
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca.
