Little has changed after another year of global warming headlines. Maine’s record high temperature of 105°F, set on July 10, 1911, is now 112 years old. Twelve Maine towns and cities have daily high temperature records of 100 degrees and above. Six of the records were set in 1975. The remaining six were set in 1897, 1911, 1911, 1935, 1955, and 1988. Augusta’s record of 100°F was set in 1955. Until recently the Maine.gov website stated the “record hottest year in Maine” was 1913 and the “record coldest year in Maine” was 1904. Those records still stand.

The U.S. data is like Maine’s. Three states set an all-time record high temperature reached in the 1800s. In the following three decades ending in 1929, another 10 states set their record. In the 1930s, by far the hottest decade, 23 states were added. In the following three decades ending in 1969 three more states were added. In the three decades ending in 1999, another eight states were added. Only three states have set high records in this century.

The temperature record of Planet Earth also does not show a dramatic trend. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) divides the world into 11 regions for recording “highest temperature.” The following is a list of the dates of those records; 1931, 2017, 1905, 1913, 1960, 1942, 1977, 1982, 2020, 1989, and 2020. Five of these records are older than 50 years.

WMO and NOAA data were used as sources.

Joe Grant

Wiscasset