Above 40°
Temperatures will gradually rise during the week, becoming unbearable in places above 40 degrees.
“Cancel outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” the NWS in Las Vegas advised on Monday, recalling that “heat is the most dangerous weather event” in the United States. “This level of extreme heat (…) could affect anyone overnight with little or no rest, effective air conditioning and/or adequate hydration,” the service stressed.
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A try time: already over 10 days in Phoenix
Beyond the heat, the timing of this episode is worrying. In Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, the mercury has already crossed 43 degrees for 10 days. According to the local branch of the NWS, the heat wave will be “one of the longest, if not the longest” ever recorded in the city.
In another city, Tucson, Arizona, some congregants distributed ice packs and water bottles to hundreds of people. The New York Times.
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Dehydration without realizing it
Dehydration is a major summer risk in the United States. In the southwestern states, sweat sometimes evaporates before it collects on the skin, and by the time some sufferers realize they’re in trouble, it’s sometimes already too late. Last week, one person died in California’s Death Valley desert, most likely from the heat, according to officials. Two tires of his car were punctured.
In addition to heat warnings, Golden State officials are currently issuing flash flood warnings for some areas. Several storms have halted last winter’s heavy snowfall on the peaks of the Sierra Nevada as temperatures melt.
Texas records a thermal longevity
Additionally, Texas is still suffering from a prolonged heat wave. The city of El Paso, on the border with Mexico, has broken its record for 24 consecutive days above 37.7°C (100°F), local weather services announced Sunday.
A heat warning is in effect for South Florida around Miami until Wednesday.
A scientific study has yet to be conducted to directly attribute the current heat waves to climate change. But many experts say global warming, linked to humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels, is responsible for the frequency and intensity of heat waves around the world.
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Henceforth, legal battles
In the U.S., heat waves are starting to spark legal battles again. In June, Multnomah County, Oregon’s most populous county, sued several multinational oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron. He is seeking $51 billion in damages from them after a particularly deadly “heat dome” hit the western state in 2021.
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