"Global air, ocean temperature records shattered in August"
A month of sweltering conditions drove global ocean and air temperatures to their hottest August in at least 174 years of record-keeping.
Why it matters: The planet's summer of sizzling milestones is a clear indication that 2023 will likely rank at the top of the list of warmest years.
The big picture: The planet has seen a steady onslaught of extreme weather and climate disasters this summer, from the deadly flooding in Greece and Libya to repeat and deadly heat waves in the U.S. and Europe.
- There is now at least a 95% likelihood that 2023 will rank as a top-2 warmest year on record, NOAA stated Thursday. This is a new development, since previously its forecasters were zeroing in on a top-5 warmest year.
- Outside climate scientists, including those at Berkeley Earth, have stated that not only will 2023 be the warmest year on record, it even has a 50% chance of meeting or beating the 1.5°C (2.7°F) guardrail contained in the Paris Agreement.

"Mapping the scale of Canada's record wildfires"
Canada is battling more than 1,000 active fires, and nearly two-thirds of them are out of control. Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record with tens of thousands of people being driven out of their homes and the federal government forced to deploy the military to several regions over the past months. Nearly 200 homes and structures have been lost or damaged by the wildfires burning in Kelowna, British Columbia. Cooler conditions have brought some relief to the region even though smoke continues to blanket the country's westernmost province. While Canada experiences fires every summer, this year's blazes have scorched at least 15.3 million hectares (37.8 million acres) of land, nearly 10 times more than 2022 and roughly the size of New York state. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), 1,036 active fires are burning throughout Canada with 652 categorised as "out of control", 161 as "being held" and 223 considered to be under control. About two-thirds of all active fires are burning in the western province of British Columbia (376) and in the Northwest Territories (237). An additional 143 fires are burning in Yukon, 88 in Alberta and 66 in Ontario. According to the CIFFC, 5,881 fires have been recorded across the country this year so far, about 1,000 more than last year.

Fall Color Update
Here's a picture from the Rylee Cyr and the MN DNR website from McCarthy Beach State Park. There doesn't appear to be much leaf color quite yet, it won't be long now before peak fall color arrives in just a few short weeks.

Fall Color Update
According to the MN DNR, there is already a little fall color showing up across parts of the state. Note that peak color typically arrives along the International border around mid to late September. It could be a little later this year, but cooler nights ahead will help to get the fall colors underway.