Hello folks,

I've just returned from my epic six-week adventure around the US only to
find that I've missed out on some record-breaking heat

We also had some hot weather over the pond! It was hottest in Vegas but
it only got to 41°C and we were also treated to some rare rain there.
Saw the world's tallest thermometer (136ft tall) which was stuck in the
middle of the desert near Death Valley. Watched some absolutely amazing
thunderstorms develop and surround us on the Idaho/Nevada stateline
(where I also got my very first lightning photos!). Saw the sunrise over
the Grand Canyon and also saw a rainbow at sunrise there. Got to have a
very scary helicopter ride over the canyon in a thunderstorm with
lightning all around us :-/

The coldest place where we were was in West Yellowstone, Montana where
the temperature dropped to about 1 or 2°C overnight; the daytime max was
pushing 30°C. The weather through Utah, Arizona and New Mexico has been
particularly wet this year and the desert was looking very green. The
Navajo guide we had at Monument Valley said that this year was the
wettest he could remember for 20-or-so years there. Probably saw more
thunderstorms in the last three weeks as we crossed the south than in my
whole life put together - pretty much every day was punctuated by one
somewhere or another.

Had an excellent time - I'll post the interesting photos on my website
when I've finished fishing through all 650-odd

I'll be heading back to Canterbury in a week or so to start my PhD at
the University there.

Jonathan