A heat wave hits the southern US hard, especially Texas and Louisiana. “Dangerous” temperatures are expected to persist for several more days and experts are pointing to the role of global warming.
With summer just beginning, millions of Americans are under an extreme heat warning, with temperatures often exceeding 40C.
The episode also affects parts of New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and northern Florida.
Global warming is responsible for multiplying and intensifying heat waves around the world, scientists have been pointing out for years.
“This heat wave is more intense, more widespread and likely longer” than it would have been without the impact of human activity, said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at the NGO Climate Central.
A preliminary analysis by this organization found that climate change has increased the likelihood of current temperatures by at least five times.
Refreshment centers have opened in Houston, the country’s fourth largest city with 2.3 million people, so that the infirm can find refuge there.
A heat alert was issued in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.
“Some locations in Texas have had temperatures above 37C for more than two weeks, which is very unusual for this time of year, even in an area that has historically had heating,” Andrew Pershing said.
“What worries us most is that because of the early onset, people’s physiology has not yet adapted to the heat,” the scientist added, noting that the first heatwaves of the year are usually the deadliest.
“Drink plenty of water, stay in rooms with air conditioning and shade, and be mindful of your family and neighbors,” the US National Weather Service (NWS) said, describing the conditions as “dangerously hot.”
They also recommended wearing light clothing and postponing strenuous activities to the beginning or end of the day. “Those suffering from the heat should be taken to a cool, shady place. Sunstroke is an emergency!” they added.
These extreme temperatures have been going on for days but are gradually spreading east and are expected to continue into the weekend.
The small Texas town of Del Rio on the border with Mexico broke its heat record for eight straight days, reaching around 43C on Sunday, according to local weather services.
Late last week, Big Bend National Park in the south of the state announced the deaths of two people who were out hiking in 48C temperatures. A 14-year-old lost consciousness and died in a car crash with his father while he was on his way to seek help.
Animals are also suffering from the heat: According to the Houston Humane Society, twelve cats and a dog were found dead in an abandoned apartment.
The agency responsible for operating most of the Texas power grid, Ercot, warned that power demands are higher due to the heat, but said it expects to be able to cope.
“Air conditioning can literally save lives,” Kristina Dahl of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) told AFP. “But if we don’t run that air conditioner on renewable energy, we’re contributing to more emissions being released into the atmosphere, which will further increase the heat.”
This is a real “challenge,” she said, given that few people on the planet have air conditioning today, but its use “is likely to skyrocket in the coming decades.”
For her, the current heat wave in the south of the country is symbolic: “That’s exactly what you can expect in a warming world.”