Large areas of the Northern Hemisphere continued to sizzle with high heat as the start of summer more closely resembled the dog days of August, from the typically frigid Russian Arctic to the customarily hot American South.
In the United States, a heat dome with many locations reaching triple digit temperatures and significant humidity moved from west to east. According to the National Weather Service, which had 30 million Americans under some sort of heat alert on Thursday, at least eight states reached 100 degrees (37.8 degrees Celsius) and at least nine high temperature records were made or broken.
Following a day on Wednesday when 21 records were tied or broken and temperatures in 12 states above 100 degrees, Thursday’s tremendous misery. At least 113 automated weather stations have tied or beaten heat records since June 15. According to scientists, this early baking exhibits all the signs of climate change.
‘It’s simple to look at these numbers and overlook the tremendous suffering they represent. According to Texas A&M climate scientist Andrew Dessler, who was in College Station on Thursday when the temperature tied a record at 102 degrees (38.9 degrees Celsius), folks who cannot afford air conditioning and those who work outdoors have no choice but to suffer. ‘Those of us with air conditioning may not experience bodily discomfort, but we are confined inside.’
Chicago has modified its cooling regulations following three fatalities.
In just nine hours on Wednesday, the temperature in Macon, Georgia, rose from 64 degrees (17.8 Celsius) to 105 degrees (40.6 Celsius). Then, on Thursday, the temperature reached a record high of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). On Monday, even Minneapolis reached 100.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard of the Weather Prediction Center, the Pacific Northwest and Northeast are likely the only regions that have avoided the heat wave. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and California were among the states to reach at least 100 on Thursday. On Wednesday, the same states reached the milestone alongside North and South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
It is chronic, according to Chenard. ‘It’s been more than a week, and some portions of it will continue.’
Not simply the United States.
According to Maximiliano Herrera, who keeps track of global temperature records, the Russian city of Norilsk, which is located above the Arctic Circle, tied for its hottest day in any month on record on Thursday with 89.6 degrees (32 degrees Celsius), making it the hottest June day on record. While Turpan, China, recorded 114 degrees, other Japanese cities reached their warmest June temperatures, including 97 (36.1 degrees Celsius) in Nobeoka City (46.5 degrees Celsius). It’s so insane, according to Herrera, that he only has time to track broken records and the intense heat.
Germany and Spain are both experiencing fire issues as a result of the European heat wave.
Victor Gensini, a professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois University, stated that this early heat wave is ‘quite consistent with what we’d expect in a continuously warming planet.’
These temperatures are taking place with only 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) of global warming, and according to Dessler, this century will see an additional 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 degrees Celsius) of warming. I can’t even begin to fathom how awful that will be.
According to state meteorologist Kathie Dello, Raleigh, North Carolina, only experiences one 100-degree day every year, but this one came much later than usual.
‘Many people in the Southeast United States lack access to adequate or consistent cooling or are unable to afford to use their home cooling systems. One of the biggest hazards to our public health in a changing climate is heat-related illness and mortality.’
According to Chenard, several areas of the country, especially the north central region, may experience some cooling by the weekend or Monday. Though he said that it’s probable the entire summer will be hotter than usual, above average temperatures are predicted for ‘at least into the first part of July.’
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