Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP
Kristin Peterson tries to keep cool with a cool scarf in Austin, Texas, amid a stifling heat wave.
CNN
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An already dangerous week-long heat wave will only worsen this weekend as a heat dome intensifies and reaches maximum strength over parts of the Western United States.
The heat dome was so formidable that the National Weather Service in Phoenix called it “one of the strongest high pressure systems ever seen in this region.” As many as 100 heat records could fall today through the weekend as it intensifies, adding to the more than 1,000 high temperature records broken in the US since June.
More than 90 million people are under heat alerts after the heat dome expanded in places like California, which is currently experiencing its first severe heat wave of the year.
It’s been dangerously hot for weeks in Texas, Florida and Arizona, with Phoenix in the midst of a likely record-breaking streak of 110-degree days. The low temperature in Phoenix may not drop below 90 degrees for eight days in a row, another record.
It shows what the hot spots are compared to the average with darker shades showing more intense heat.
The heat will be so intense, forecasters are advising Las Vegas residents to stay indoors between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the city forecast to hit a high of 117 degrees Sunday. . It doesn’t get cold at night, with low temperatures nearing 90 degrees – a dangerous side effect of the climate crisis.
Even the hottest place on Earth, California’s Death Valley, could reach unusual highs, with 130 degrees possible Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters told CNN. This happened only a few times, one of which was the world record high temperature of 134 degrees.
This kind of extreme heat is one of the hallmarks of human-induced climate change, the symptoms of which have escalated this year to a global record box score of sorts: “unprecedented” coastal ocean heat in Florida and the North Atlantic; record heat in Beijing, in what could be one of China’s hottest summers; record energy and heat demand in Texas; and an ongoing “Cerberus” heat wave, which threatens to break European temperature records.
It all adds up to what could be the hottest year on record.
The records also add to something more serious for human health, say doctors.
“Make no mistake about it: This heat is deadly, and being in it for a long period of time is deadly,” Dr. Matthew Levy of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told CNN.
Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke in as little as 20 to 30 minutes for people doing anything strenuous outside, as the heat acts as a “perfect storm,” overloading in the body until it short-circuits and then shuts down, Levy said. The time frame may be even shorter for those most vulnerable to heat, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
Heat illness is a serious concern this weekend for millions of residents in major metro areas like Phoenix and Las Vegas.
People across California’s Southwest and Central Valley are under an exceptionally “severe” heat danger level Saturday, Sunday and Monday, according to the weather service.
“Severe HeatRisk” is the highest possible risk level for heat, similar to a “high risk” for tornadoes, and is intended to warn of significant effects of heat that require preparation.
These areas should prepare for spikes in heat-related ER visits, potential power outages from demand and temperatures that can be deadly enough, especially for outdoor workers and those without reliable cooling.
According to Levy, the workers can stay safe by taking frequent water breaks, wearing clothes that can shine in the sun and having a “buddy system” so that no one is left alone in the heat when illness comes. For those without reliable cooling, he recommends finding a cooling center and having a plan to get there before the need.
All areas shaded in red will exceed 90 degrees on Saturday.
Before the latest wave, heat had already killed at least 12 people in Phoenix’s Maricopa County this year, and killed 425 people last year. The city opened “rest centers” to help provide relief and the state asked residents to keep their cars in the water.
The heat won’t go away after this weekend, even if temperatures rise: A longer-term temperature outlook from the Climate Prediction Center points to above-normal temperatures across Southern California, the Southwest, South and Florida until next week.
