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World
Northern Hemisphere Heatwaves
Crushing heatwaves in Western Europe, the United States, and China are breaking records, straining power grids, and causing misery for hundreds of millions of people. Brutal temperatures reaching up to 115°F (46.3°C) in places has helped drive dangerous wildfires in Portugal, Spain, and France. In China, 86 cities issued top-level heat warnings for temperatures exceeding 104°F (40°C). Meanwhile, in the the United States, the city of Houston reached 103°F (39.4°C) as officials urged residents to conserve energy as the draw on the state of Texas' power grid reached a new unofficial record of 78.3 gigawatts on Tuesday.
This map depicts today's global temperature readings. Heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere are causing misery. Click on the map to learn more.
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India
Floods in Gujarat State
Extreme flooding struck the state of Gujarat along India's western coast following a recent monsoon, killing at least seven people. The state is home to the city of Ahmedabad, the fifth largest city in the country, where damages are estimated at nearly $150 million. Officials expect flooding to last a few more days. The state minister reported at least 9,000 people have been relocated to safer areas. According to a government report, many parts of Gujarat are vulnerable to floods because major rivers pass through flat river basins that are prone to flooding. 63 people have died since the beginning of June due to rain-related incidents.
This map depicts rainfall levels in the states of India, with the state of Gujarat at a "large excess" level in dark blue. Click on the map to learn more.
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Greece
Man Survives 18 Hours Adrift
A tourist named Ivan survived 18 hours adrift at sea off of the coast of Greece by clinging onto a small ball that was lost ten days earlier by two brothers on a beach 80 miles away. The 30 year old was enjoying his holiday on the coast of Kassandra when he was swept out to sea by powerful currents. Tired of swimming, he lost all the hope of survival when miraculously the brothers' ball floated towards him. The ball helped him stay afloat until he was spotted by a Greek Air Force helicopter and rescued after 18 hours in the water. Remarkably, the mother of the boys recognized the ball when Ivan's story was featured on Greek TV and came forward.
This map depicts the location where a tourist in Greece was swept away, where a ball was lost that he used to stay afloat, and the location where he was rescued. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the only landmass crossed by the Prime Meridian in the Southern Hemisphere?
A: Antartica
Meridians are imaginary longitudinal lines running north/south on the globe and are used to measure distance in degrees. The Prime Meridian is the longitudinal line that starts at zero degrees and essentially splits the planet in two - the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. It is also the basis for the world’s time zones. From pole to pole, the Prime Meridian stretches over 12,400 miles (20,000 km) and passes through 8 countries - United Kingdom, France, Spain, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Tongo, and Ghana. The only landmass it crosses through in the Southern Hemisphere is Antartica. The Greenwich Meridian was chosen in 1884 at the International Meridian Conference to become the Prime Meridian at zero degrees longitude; the main reason for choosing this line was because some two-thirds of ship vessels were already using charts based on it and it was easier to have a universal starting point.
Source
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Q: Which continent is considered the peninsula of peninsulas?
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in tomorrow's DailyGeo.
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