The heat is punishing the western United States. Just over a third of the country’s population, some 113 million people, is on alert because of the high temperatures. For weeks, a heat wave has hit dozens of cities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The heat, which broke two world records this year, isn’t abating in a more than 2,000-mile swath stretching from Oregon on the Pacific Coast to Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.
Thermometers in Phoenix have reached or exceeded 37 degrees Celsius since June 13. It’s a hot period. The situation is getting worse as the weather service has expanded extreme heat forecasts. Meteorologists have warned that highs of 47 degrees will be measured in Phoenix this Saturday and Sunday. Everything indicates that the year 2023 will break the 49-year mark on Monday. In 1974, there were 18 consecutive days when the mercury temperature was above 43 degrees Celsius. The figures contrast with March, which left the region with its coldest month in three decades, averaging a high of 22 degrees and a low of 10.5 degrees.
A weather forecaster with the US National Weather Service monitors the weather in Phoenix, Arizona on July 12. STAFF (Portal)
“It’s possible that every day in July is close to the recorded maximum temperatures,” warned Isaac Smith of the National Meteorological Service (SMN) this week. Some experts expect the situation will continue next week as a heat dome that originated in Texas migrates west.
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So far in 2023, at least 12 deaths in Phoenix have been linked to high temperatures. Coroners in Maricopa County, where the city is located, are investigating another 55 deaths because they believe some may fall into that category. Half a dozen of those who died from the heat were homeless and a third were over 75 years old.
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Currently, Arizona’s heat casualty toll is lower than it will be in 2022. As of this point last year, there have been 17 deaths and an additional 126 have been investigated. Last year it sparked an emergency as the city recorded 425 heat-related deaths, a 25% increase compared to 2021 when there were 339 cases. The number of deaths has quadrupled in a decade. This is due in large part to the increase in the homeless population in the Phoenix area. This is one of the groups most affected by high temperatures.
The rise in deaths has prompted authorities to try to reduce the death toll. Authorities in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, opened three new shelters against the sun this year. These offer city dwellers, especially the homeless, the opportunity to spend the hottest hours of the day with indoor air conditioning. In addition, the city has set up around 200 cold spots, providing water and shade to those who need it. These centers have drawn some criticism as they close between 4pm and 7pm leaving many without hydration at night.
A bird on the lake in Tempe, Arizona on July 12. REBECCA NOBLE (Getty Images via AFP)
Heat-related deaths are not unique to Arizona. In Las Vegas, Nevada, health officials have attributed seven deaths to these causes since April 11. The major western tourist haven recorded 152 deaths last year due to high temperatures. The federal government estimates that about 700 people die each year in the country from heat. However, activists fighting climate change call these numbers conservative, putting the actual number at 1,300 deaths.
The heat reaches California
After a rainy winter and a dreary spring, summer has finally arrived in a state plagued by chronic drought. Experts predicted temperatures would start to rise this Thursday due to the arrival of a heatwave, resulting in the hottest time of the year in the most populous state.
SMN has warned that central and southern California will be hardest hit by rising temperatures. In the desert region where the tourist town of Palm Springs is located, night-time highs reach 48.8 degrees Celsius and average 26.6 degrees Celsius. The heat that is being felt across much of the company has meant that some plans have had to be changed. The state fair, which begins this Friday on the outskirts of the capital Sacramento, has decided to cancel some activities involving horses due to the risk of the animals running due to the high temperatures.
Ernesto Hernández drinks water while working in a tomato field in Winters, California July 13. LOREN ELLIOTT (Portal)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has cited extreme heat as the city’s biggest climate threat. A study by UCLA University states that mortality increases between 8% and as much as 30% during heat waves in the city. The high temperatures, which lasted until mid-November in previous years, led to an increase in wildfires and increased hospitalizations. Bass has announced four new community cooling centers for this weekend. It also recommended using one of the city’s 72 public libraries as a shelter from the sun.
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, used the climate phenomenon to launch a campaign to educate people about life in high temperatures. The Democrat politician has given $20 million to citizens to help them plan in the face of increasingly common climate phenomena; Find cooling centers in your community and learn how to diagnose symptoms related to heat stroke or dehydration. Everything indicates that we must learn to live with extreme temperatures in an increasingly hotter world.
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