A dangerous heat wave is building across the US, with triple-digit highs expected in the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend before spreading eastward under a dome of high pressure that meteorologists say could trap oppressive temperatures for a week or more.
Heat Wave Expected to Break Records
Forecasters advised people to stay hydrated and find places to cool off, warning of temperatures 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal in many areas, including at night — especially bad for people’s health because their bodies won’t have a chance to recover.
The heat dome was expected to affect as much as two-thirds of the continental United States. Tynika Smith of Bloomington, Minnesota, handed out frozen towels and wash cloths along with battery-operated fans at encampments of homeless people in nearby St. Paul and will continue next week, when temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid- to high 90s.
Climate Change and Heat Waves
Climate change from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas is causing more intense and longer-lasting heat waves that cover larger areas, scientists say. This year’s temperatures are also expected to be affected by El Nino, a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns and spikes temperatures across the globe.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
