It's been absolutely gorgeous here in Iowa this week so far.

2011.08.10 1554 UTC
Wind Variable at 6 MPH (5 KT)
Visibility 10 mile(s)
Sky conditions partly cloudy
Temperature 75.9 F (24.4 C)
Dew Point 53.1 F (11.7 C)
Relative Humidity 44%
Pressure (altimeter) 29.97 in. Hg (1014 hPa)

And is snowing heavily in Santiago right now, last time was in 2005 , when we only had a bit of snow ...

Santiago Snow Photos

Wind from the SSW (210 degrees) at 9 MPH (8 KT) gusting to 17 MPH (15 KT) (direction variable)
Visibility 10 mile(s)
Sky conditions clear
Temperature 100.9 F (38.3 C)
Heat index 99.1 F (37.3 C)
Dew Point 55.0 F (12.8 C)
Relative Humidity 21%
Pressure (altimeter) 29.86 in. Hg (1011 hPa)
Pressure tendency 0.01 inches (0.4 hPa) lower than three hours ago

24 Hour Summary
Time
EDT (UTC) Temperature
F (C) Dew Point
F (C) Pressure
Inches (hPa) Wind
MPH Weather
Latest 2 PM (18) Aug 19 100.9 (38.3) 55.0 (12.8) 29.86 (1011) SSW 9
1 PM (17) Aug 19 99.0 (37.2) 55.9 (13.3) 29.88 (1011) S 13
Noon (16) Aug 19 98.1 (36.7) 57.0 (13.9) 29.88 (1011) SW 9
11 AM (15) Aug 19 93.0 (33.9) 59.0 (15.0) 29.87 (1011) WSW 8
10 AM (14) Aug 19 89.1 (31.7) 60.1 (15.6) 29.87 (1011) SW 6
9 AM (13) Aug 19 82.9 (28.3) 61.0 (16.1) 29.86 (1011) Calm
8 AM (12) Aug 19 82.0 (27.8) 59.0 (15.0) 29.85 (1010) Calm
7 AM (11) Aug 19 82.9 (28.3) 59.0 (15.0) 29.84 (1010) SW 5
6 AM (10) Aug 19 82.9 (28.3) 59.0 (15.0) 29.84 (1010) WSW 5
5 AM (9) Aug 19 84.0 (28.9) 57.9 (14.4) 29.85 (1010) SW 6
4 AM (8) Aug 19 87.1 (30.6) 57.9 (14.4) 29.83 (1010) SSW 9
3 AM (7) Aug 19 88.0 (31.1) 57.9 (14.4) 29.83 (1010) SSW 7
2 AM (6) Aug 19 88.0 (31.1) 57.0 (13.9) 29.83 (1010) S 8
1 AM (5) Aug 19 90.0 (32.2) 55.9 (13.3) 29.83 (1010) S 7
Midnight (4) Aug 19 90.0 (32.2) 55.0 (12.8) 29.83 (1010) S 6
11 PM (3) Aug 18 91.0 (32.8) 54.0 (12.2) 29.83 (1010) S 7
10 PM (2) Aug 18 93.9 (34.4) 53.1 (11.7) 29.81 (1009) S 7
9 PM (1) Aug 18 99.0 (37.2) 52.0 (11.1) 29.81 (1009) S 12
8 PM (0) Aug 18 102.0 (38.9) 51.1 (10.6) 29.82 (1009) S 10
7 PM (23) Aug 18 104.0 (40.0) 50.0 (10.0) 29.83 (1010) SW 9
6 PM (22) Aug 18 106.0 (41.1) 48.0 (8.9) 29.85 (1010) SSW 12
5 PM (21) Aug 18 105.1 (40.6) 46.0 (7.8) 29.88 (1011) SSW 17
4 PM (20) Aug 18 104.0 (40.0) 48.0 (8.9) 29.91 (1012) Variable 5
Oldest 3 PM (19) Aug 18 102.9 (39.4) 48.9 (9.4) 29.93 (1013) SSW 13

Hot, Hot and Hotter still.

Helter, Swelter .. on and on and on it goes... they mark this as ''pleasant'', ''delightful'', AND ''plenty'' ** over at AccuWeather. We had 31C at exactly 12:00AM, 3-4 hours before the hottest point of the day.

Monday Sunny and pleasant
RealFeel®: 35°C
High Temperature: 33°C
Low Temperature: 16°C
Winds NNE 15 km/h
Relative Humidity 54%
Dew Point 21°C
Barometric Pressure 1018 mb
Pressure Tendency Rising
Visibility 16 km
Sunrise 6:16 AM
Sunset 7:54 PM

Tuesday Delightful with plenty of sunshine
RealFeel®: 34°C
High Temperature: 33°C
Low Temperature: 17°C
Details | Hour-By-Hour
Wednesday Plenty of sunshine
RealFeel®: 33°C
High Temperature: 31°C
Low Temperature: 17°C

Over at the italian Wundeground, a slightly longer forecast:

Oggi
Parzialmente nuvoloso 32 °C
Parzialmente nuvoloso
Domani
Parzialmente nuvoloso 33 °C
Parzialmente nuvoloso
mercoledì
Parzialmente nuvoloso 32 | 20 °C
Parzialmente nuvoloso
giovedì
Possibilità di temporali 32 | 22 °C
Chance of T-storms
20% Possibilità di precipitazioni

20% percent rain chance on Friday... yeah, lasting 15 minutes of a gallon a minute, per square meter.


** Reminds me of the Bay of Plenty in NZ

This is the highest I saw, 111.8. Officially, the high temperature today closest to me was 112 on August 28, 2011 at Camp Mabry, tying the only other highest temperature ever recorded here on September 5 2000 since records began in the 1850s. I am tracking the station fairly closely I would say. For others, that's 44.44 degrees C.

July 2011 was the highest average month ever, at 89.7 degrees F. August 2011 was already averaging 91 degrees F before this number today. It will likely break last month's highest ever average.

100 degree days are too common this summer. 2009 had 68, missing the record by 1. This year we broke the record and are still counting at 73 as of today.
105 degree days so far are 21 now, with the record being 22. Tomorrow could possibly tie it.

The consecutive 100 degree days were also broken earlier this month at 27, before a cloud or something went over the weather station and knocked the temperature down below 100 the next day. I don't think we can build that number up enough to try for more this year but we will probably have more 100 degree days....105 tomorrow, they say.

Texas is in the middle of exceptional drought conditions.