OK,

so most of the country sees its hottest day after the summer solstice, which shifts between June 20th to the 22nd, depending on the year.

So the summer solstice is when the sun is highest in the sky.

It's delivering the most solar radiation.

But there is a lag in between when you have the most solar radiation and how long it takes for our atmosphere and our planet to heat up, which is why we'll see the hottest days after the summer solstice.

So for the southwestern United States, they you would think, you know, desert and all July would be their month.

It's actually June.

Interesting.

What do we need to know?

Well, lightning, of course, as most of us know, is one of the most dangerous weather hazards.

Every single year, about 20 to 30 million lightning strikes that's with an M hits the United States.

So that's just the U.S. That doesn't even count Africa and South America, which have considerable amount of lightning as well.

The southeastern U.S. experiences the most lightning strikes across the country.

So Florida, Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina, they report the most lightning-related deaths and injuries.

Over the last 50 years, more than 2,000 people have been injured by lightning in the U.S. And between 2006 and 2025, 517 people were killed by lightning.

like to hear that.

OK.

But some of those stronger summer storms are pulse.

thunderstorms, which is a type of single cell storm.

So it's not usually severe, but it will form when you have a little bit more atmospheric energy available.

So on those more hot, humid days and with that extra energy in place, that actually allows for more intense and greater amounts of precipitation.

So these storms can produce strong winds, usually reaching speeds of less than 70 miles per hour.

So that will put it in the low end of a severe thunderstorm warning.

a new Marvel movie, isn't it?

do we need to know about these bloodsuckers?

Well, they are very sensitive to weather conditions and their populations can be influenced by temperature, humidity and precipitation.

So like most of us, they thrive in warm weather.

Tick season starts typically spans from early spring through late fall with peak activity between April and September.

So as you get through March and May and temperatures start to get above 40 degrees, that is when ticks begin to venture out of their winter hiding spots to kind of see what's going on and find a host.

By summer, from June to August especially, ticks are thriving in the high humidity and the heat.

So basically they're having their own summer vacations.

likely that's going to happen here.