Anytime a mode of climate variability used to assess and/or predict climate a review of its presence and potential impacts is required. During July 2018 the strongest easterly phase of the high level wind over the equatorial region known as the quasi-biennial oscillation evolved.

Drought fueling intense fires in California (most recently in Redding, CA) is forecast to shift north increasing fire risk drastically to Oregon/Washington for late summer.

July 2018 will produce the coolest ocean surface (compared to normal) in the main development region for North Atlantic hurricanes. Implications for the tropical cyclone season ahead is lack of "Cape Verde Storms" (typically the strongest hurricanes) but an active western North Atlantic basin of less intense storms.

There’s an old adage in climate: “change the month, change the pattern”. August 2018 is likely to validate that generalization. One cause of the change which climate scientists say is underestimated by forecasters is seasonality. As the greatest influence of solar heating on the northern hemisphere middle/high latitudes during July descends in August the climate pattern should naturally change.