Colin McCarthy
@US_Stormwatch
Tracking Extreme Weather, Natural Disasters & Climate Worldwide, Storm Chaser | @ucdavisCAES Contact: stormwatchcolin@gmail.com
238 Following 159.2K Followers
Five of the 10 driest major cities in the United States rely on the Colorado River for at least 40% of their water, even as the river system faces severe water crisis. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, store Colorado River water for millions of people, with their combined water level falling to its lowest point ever this summer.
Show more
🏜️ Top 10 driest major US cities
(300,000+ people) by average annual rainfall:
1. Henderson, NV — 5.1 in
2. Las Vegas, NV — 5.7 in
3. Bakersfield, CA — 7.1 in
4. Phoenix, AZ — 7.9 in
5. Riverside, CA — 7.9 in
6. Mesa, AZ — 8.3 in
7. Albuquerque, NM — 9.0 in
8. El Paso, TX — 9.2 in
9. Fresno, CA — 9.9 in
10. San Diego, CA — 10.7 in
Show more
Las Vegas, the driest metro area in the United States and home to more than 2 million people, gets 90% of its water from the dwindling Colorado River.
🏜️ Top 10 driest major US cities
(300,000+ people) by average annual rainfall:
1. Henderson, NV — 5.1 in
2. Las Vegas, NV — 5.7 in
3. Bakersfield, CA — 7.1 in
4. Phoenix, AZ — 7.9 in
5. Riverside, CA — 7.9 in
6. Mesa, AZ — 8.3 in
7. Albuquerque, NM — 9.0 in
8. El Paso, TX — 9.2 in
9. Fresno, CA — 9.9 in
10. San Diego, CA — 10.7 in
Show more
🏜️ Top 10 driest major US cities
(300,000+ people) by average annual rainfall:
1. Henderson, NV — 5.1 in
2. Las Vegas, NV — 5.7 in
3. Bakersfield, CA — 7.1 in
4. Phoenix, AZ — 7.9 in
5. Riverside, CA — 7.9 in
6. Mesa, AZ — 8.3 in
7. Albuquerque, NM — 9.0 in
8. El Paso, TX — 9.2 in
9. Fresno, CA — 9.9 in
10. San Diego, CA — 10.7 in
Show more
The 10 US cities with the most thunderstorms every year:
1. Orlando, FL: 84 days
2. West Palm Beach, FL: 82 days
3. Tallahassee, FL: 82 days
4. Tampa, FL: 82 days
5. Mobile, AL: 79 days
6. Daytona Beach, FL: 78 days
7. Fort Myers, FL: 76 days
8. Miami, FL: 74 days
9. New Orleans, LA: 73 days
10. Baton Rouge, LA: 73 days
Show more
Severe drought has overtaken England and France, and satellite images showing the transformation of both countries from late May to late July are just shocking.
The last 24 hours of the strongest storm on the planet: Super Typhoon Dolphin, now a Category 5 storm, expected to peak Friday with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts reaching 220 mph.
Atmospheric perfection.
Show more
California just became the first major grid system on the planet to generate more than 50% of its electricity from solar across an entire month.
Battery costs are falling rapidly, and utility-scale solar is among the cheapest sources of new power in the US.
Solar is the future.
Show more
The first ever 24 hour flight on a commercial jet was just completed.
A journey of over 13,500 miles.
Las Vegas has just endured 5 straight days of 110°F+:
112, 114, 113, 111, 110
The next 7 days look even worse:
111, 111, 112, 115, 117, 117, 115
That would make 12 consecutive days of 110°F or higher, the longest stretch of 110°F in city history.
Show more
24-hour time-lapse of the strongest storm on Earth: Hurricane Genevieve in the Eastern Pacific, which briefly reached Category 5 intensity at its peak last night.
This Airbus A350-1000 (Flight AIB35LR) is attempting the first-ever 24-hour flight by a commercial aircraft as part of a Project Sunrise test flight.
Now in its 17th hour, it is flying from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France, a journey of more than 13,500 miles.
Show more
The 134°F (56.7°C) world record temperature set in Death Valley in 1913 is almost certainly inaccurate.
The long-standing claim that the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 56.7°C (134°F) at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California, on July 10, 1913, is likely false.
A 2026 study found that the reading is physically implausible and was probably 12–16°F too high. Using lapse rates derived from surrounding higher-elevation weather stations, the researchers estimated that the actual maximum temperature that day was likely around 120°F.
The study also found evidence of other questionable temperature reports in the early years at the station, including signs that the observer may have been estimating or substituting higher values.
The highest reliably recorded temperature on Earth accepted by climatologists and weather historians is 130.0 °F (54.4°C) on July 9, 2021 at Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Visitor Center. However, the World Meteorological Organization still lists the 1913 value as the official world record.
Study:
Show more
Death Valley this upcoming weekend could approach 130°F (54.4°C), tying the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 129°F (53.9°C) in the hottest part of the valley on Sunday.
Show more
Hurricane Genevieve has gone from a 70 mph tropical storm to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane in just 24 hours in the Eastern Pacific, and may make a run at Category 5.
This storm will also help pump up the high-pressure ridge over the Southwest and California later this week through latent heat release, leading to a severe heatwave across the region. Really amazing how interconnected our world is.
Show more
Satellite imagery of Oregon yesterday evening was devastating, with an enormous amount of land being burned by wildfires.
~1 million acres have burned across the state so far in 2026, with over 100 fires currently active. Hundreds of thousands of acres burned just yesterday.
Show more
Some peak coastal water temperatures across SoCal yesterday:
Santa Monica: 77°F
Long Beach: 73°F
Capistrano Beach: 74°F
Oceanside: 76°F
Encinitas: 76°F
Del Mar: 76°F
La Jolla: 76°F
San Diego Bay: 77°F
Locally, waters could approach 80°F in August/September.
Show more
July 23, 2026, was the busiest day for commercial air travel ever, according to data from @flightradar24.
A whopping 153,359 commercial flights were tracked worldwide.
The wildfire situation across North America just got worse.
Tens of thousands of lightning strikes across the Pacific Northwest has ignited dozens of new wildfires across Oregon and Washington.
Show more
The before and after of France from late May to mid-July is jarring after a string of unprecedented heatwaves.
Over 2,000 are estimated to have died in the country during the record-breaking June heatwave.
Agricultural losses are likely in the billions of euros.
Show more
Today has been an insane day for earthquakes worldwide (times PT):
🇺🇸 M5.6 California · 8:10 AM
🇻🇪 M7.2 Venezuela · 3:04 PM
🇻🇪 M7.5 Venezuela · 3:05 PM
🇯🇵 M6.9 Japan · 3:30 PM
Show more
