Record-Breaking Temperatures Hit North America in February
Record-breaking seasonal temperatures were recorded this week in Canada and the United States, occasionally reaching “summer” temperatures in mid-February.
In the central United States, temperatures are expected to follow abnormally high temperatures at the beginning of the week with a sudden drop before returning to above-average levels afterward, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Tuesday is expected to be the “hottest day ever in February or during the winter” in Chicago, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 20 degrees Celsius, according to local weather services.
However, temperatures are expected to drop back below freezing, in what is considered an “extremely harsh” change, according to meteorologists.
Record temperatures were also recorded the previous day in St. Louis, Missouri, and in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota to the north. In the latter, a temperature just over 18 degrees Celsius was recorded on Monday, the highest temperature for the month of February.
Similarly, Texas experienced unusually high temperatures. In Dallas, the temperature reached around 33 degrees Celsius on Monday, marking a record high for February 26th. Local meteorological services warned of the risk of wildfires.
In eastern Canada, in Quebec and Ontario, record temperatures were also recorded on Tuesday.
Last January was the hottest on record globally, according to the American referencing agencies NOAA and the European Copernicus Observatory.
