A dangerous heat wave is gripping the eastern United States, shattering records and straining the electric grid. The heat wave, which is expected to continue through the weekend, is being fueled by a strong heat dome parked over the Northeast.
Heat Wave Intensified by Fossil Fuel Pollution
According to a study by World Weather Attribution, a scientific network that analyzes the role of climate change in driving extreme weather events, the intensity of the heat and humidity combined this week would have been ‘virtually impossible’ without the effects of fossil fuel pollution.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has directed data centers in the mid-Atlantic to use their backup power supplies instead of using electricity from the public grid, in part to ensure there was enough to power residential air conditioning. Many cities, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, North Carolina, are opening cooling centers and expanding public resources as the dangerous heat settles in.
Managing the Holiday Heat
Washington, D.C., has activated an extreme heat alert through July 5 and is expanding cooling centers, hydration stations and emergency medical resources as hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on the nation’s capital for holiday events. Organizers of National Mall celebrations are adding water stations, cooling tents and air-conditioned buses for attendees.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
