As a heat dome descends on the western part of the US this week, more than 34 million Americans are bracing themselves for extreme temperatures. Forecasters are warning residents in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona to prepare for triple-digit temperatures before Friday, with the heat wave expected to extend to parts of the Pacific Northwest later in the week.
Last year, similar temperatures in the American Southwest claimed the lives of at least a dozen people, and over the weekend, four migrants attempting to enter the US died due to heat-related illnesses, according to US Border Patrol in Texas.
Temperatures are forecasted to reach 108F (42.2C) across a wide swath of California, from Sacramento to Bakersfield, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue an excessive heat warning for the state’s Central Valley region. Sacramento is expected to experience its first triple-digit high temperature of the year on Tuesday, earlier than last year.
The heat warning will expand further east on Wednesday, covering areas from Las Vegas to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Southern Texas is also under a heat warning, with some areas seeing temperatures reach 117F (47.2C) on Tuesday. Thursday is expected to be the worst day this week for excessive heat, with temperatures predicted to be 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
Residents are advised to take precautions such as staying hydrated, staying indoors in air-conditioned rooms, and wearing loose-fitting clothing to avoid heat-related illnesses. The NWS office in Phoenix emphasized the dangers of heat stroke, while California’s Environmental Protection Agency warned that outdoor workers, seniors, and children are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, which is a consequence of climate change.
Firefighters are on high alert for potential wildfires as the heat wave continues. The Corral fire, which broke out west of San Francisco over the weekend, is mostly contained, but there are concerns that the high temperatures could cause the fires to flare up again.
In addition to the extreme heat, residents in the California Bay Area are warned about a northwest ocean swell bringing 15-20ft waves to the coast, posing a risk to inexperienced swimmers. The heat wave follows last year’s scorching summer, during which Phoenix experienced 31 consecutive days of temperatures at 110F (43.3C).
The high temperatures are attributed to a heat dome, where an area of high pressure traps and heats up air, preventing other weather systems from cooling down the area. Heat domes, once considered rare, are becoming more common and intense due to human-induced climate change, scientists say.
