Sharjah 24 – Reuters: A widespread heat wave is set to bring record temperatures along the U.S. West Coast, with millions enduring a heat dome over Arizona and Nevada.
About 36 million people, or 10% of the U.S. population, are under excessive heat warnings due to the heat dome centered over California, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported on Sunday. Climate change is driving these extreme heat waves and will continue to do so for decades, research shows.
High temperatures are forecast to meet or exceed daily records in Washington state, Oregon, California, northern Arizona, and central Idaho.
Temperatures are up to 20 degrees above normal in places like Redding, northern California, which hit an all-time high of 119°F (48°C) on Saturday, said NWS meteorologist Bryan Jackson.
"This heat wave is expected to drift east through early next week and persist, so we're facing an expansive and extreme heat wave continuing this week," Jackson said.
Another 36 million people are under heat advisories, and about 1 million are under excessive heat watches in areas including eastern Oregon, northeastern Nevada, and southwestern Idaho.
Heat warnings indicate imminent conditions, while watches are issued when conditions are forecast for the coming days.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to prevent "climate hell." According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, each of the past 12 months has been the warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons globally.
Last week, President Joe Biden's administration proposed the first-ever safety standard to protect workers and communities from the impacts of extreme heat.
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