Severe heat wave in western Canada and the United States of America
It has never been hot here: in British Columbia, Canada, 46.6 degrees Celsius has already been measured. Also in the United States, the so-called thermal dome guarantees maximum values.
Jump in the cold water as temperatures soar to record levels: People bathe in the Clackamas River at High Rocks Park in Portland, Oregon. (June 27, 2021).
Bild: Nathan Howard (Getty Images)
A severe heat wave hit western Canada and the northwestern United States. In the town of Lytton in the Canadian province of British Columbia, a record temperature of 46.6 degrees Celsius was measured on Sunday. Environment Canada has announced that this is the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada. Temperatures in excess of 40 degrees were recorded across British Columbia over the weekend.
The previously recorded highest temperature in Canada was 45 degrees Celsius and was recorded in July 1937 in two cities in the province of Saskatchewan. The Department of Environment issued warnings for British Columbia, the province of Alberta, parts of Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories due to the extreme heat. She added that the heat wave will continue throughout the week. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above normal.
Building cooling centers
The National Weather Service issued a similar “dangerous heat wave” warning for the northwest states of Washington and Oregon. Record temperatures were forecast in the cities of Seattle and Portland on Monday. The temperature at Portland International Airport on Sunday reached 44.4 degrees — the highest temperature ever recorded since historical records began in 1940, according to the National Weather Service.
Portlanders seek refuge from the historic heatwave (June 27, 2021 in Portland, Oregon) at the so-called “cooling refuge.”
Bild: Nathan Howard (Getty Images)
Children playing at Salmon Springs Fountain (Portland, Oregon, June 27, 2021).
Bild: Nathan Howard (Getty Images)
PORTLAND, Oregon – JUNE 27: Pablo Miranda cools off at Salmon Springs Fountain on June 27, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Record temperatures remained in the Northwest during this weekend’s historic heat wave. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Record heat caused air conditioners and fans to rush in. In the northwestern United States, “cooling shelters” (German: cooling centers) were built to provide residents with a cold shelter. While some bars, restaurants and public swimming pools were forced to close due to rising temperatures, refrigerated malls opened.
The heat dome is the reason
According to meteorologists, such a heat wave occurs only every 1000 years. The reason for the current standard heat is the so-called “thermal dome”. it’s high”National Geographic» Around a high pressure area, which sits like a bowl lid over an area and surrounds warmth.
When the water is cold in the eastern Pacific and warm in the western Pacific, the temperature difference results in winds blowing thick tropical air from west to east. This warm air is eventually trapped in the so-called jet stream – a flow of air circulating counterclockwise around the world – and descends on the West Coast of the USA. If the phenomenon of a wave-like jet stream occurs, heat can collect and intensify in the center.
Researchers are currently studying the theory that such disruptions in the jet stream could be due to warming in the Arctic. Scientists warn that such extreme weather situations are becoming more common due to climate change.
“Some people refer to this as the ‘new normal,'” says Michael Mann, professor of atmospheric sciences at Penn State University. CBS News. “We will see more and more extreme heat waves, droughts, wildfires and floods as long as we continue to warm the planet by burning fossil fuels and carbon emissions.”
Climate researchers expect temperatures to rise seven to ten degrees above normal levels by 2100.
In both Canada and the United States, temperatures are expected to cool slightly from Tuesday. However, the US is expecting the next heat wave for the week of the US National Day on July 4th.
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