"in the year so far, 23,283 daily high records have been set. Over the same period last year, there were 13,582 such records set. The number of records set, then, is up about 71 percent." - × × ×

“It is hard to believe with the record temperatures many cities are experiencing" that on Thursday the sun was the farthest from Earth that it will be this year — 94.5 million miles, versus its usual 93 million miles or so.” - × × ×