The US is broiling in extreme heat and high humidity this week which is expected to last into the weekend for some parts of the country. More than 80 million people came under heat alerts, with the National Weather Service’s Heat Risk forecast issuing its highest levels of threat to human health for much of Ohio, some of Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.
A separate report found that more than 270 million Americans are experiencing a record-smashing heat wave that has not been seen in decades. Temperatures across the US are soaring at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) and are being held in place by a heat dome.
Heat domes occur when strong, high pressure traps hot air over a region and blocks cool air from traveling in. The Midwest, the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic are believed to be under a heat dome that originated in the south-west where many cities were placed under heat warnings last week.
The blistering heat has raised concern about illnesses in people who work outdoors and those who are more susceptible to extreme temperatures. Officials in areas experiencing extreme heat have cautioned people to wear light clothing and to stay in the shade or indoors if they have to be out in the heat for an extended period of time.
Across the US, cooling centers have opened up. New York governor Kathy Hochul announced that she had activated the National Guard to assist with heat-related emergencies that may arise over the next several days.
“The longevity of dangerous heat forecasted for some locations has not been experienced in decades,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said. “Warm overnight temperatures… will offer little relief, especially to those without adequate or reliable cooling.”
The Northeast and parts of the Upper Midwest have come under heat warnings in the category of Level 3 and Level 4; the former “affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration” with “impacts likely in some health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure,” according to the NWS.
The latter is a “level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief that affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration” with impacts likely in “most” health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure.
Burlington, Vermont may experience its hottest three-day period not seen in 30 years this week, the NWS said. The highs are expected to be in the upper 90s, with the same forecast expected for Buffalo, New York. Meanwhile, Rochester, NY could experience temperatures that surge past 100, and Washington, DC will experience their worst heat this weekend with highs in the upper 90s to the low 100s. Of all the cities, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania may experience the longest duration of heat.
Climate change has continued to warm our globe, and scores of others have already reportedly died from heat-related illnesses including those in Saudi Arabia, India and Greece. Last week, Greece came under a sweltering heat wave with temperatures soaring to 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
The heat in Greece grew to such a dangerous level that schools were forced to close, and the culture ministry temporarily barred entry to Greece’s most popular tourist attraction: the ancient Acropolis site, as well as other archaeological sites. At least five tourists in Greece have died with most of those deaths assumed to be linked to the heat.