Image of the Colorado river-bend in Needles California by Kathy Weiser (check out her site for more gorgeous Southwestern images).
Needles California has set the World Record for Hottest Rainfall ever recorded. The steamy rainfall came down when it was 115 degrees.
Not only did the small Mojave desert town beat the old record, it pretty much shattered it. The previous World Record for hottest rainfall was 109 degrees in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on June 5, 2012.
Because of the annual Monsoon season that hits the desert southwest its not uncommon for Needles to experience rain on very hot days. But rain in 115 degree heat is just about as hot and muggy as it can get.
Jeff Masters from weatherunderground said: “Monday’s rain in Needles was due to a flow of moisture coming from the south caused by the Southwest U.S. monsoon, a seasonal influx of moisture caused by the difference in temperature between the hot desert and the cooler ocean areas surrounding Mexico to the south.”
