On the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, the population is preparing to undergo the arrival of a historic heat episode. Several absolute temperature records are expected to be broken, even inland. According to meteorologists, temperatures worthy of those of the Death Valley are expected.
The heatwave at a very northern latitude
This weekend, a rare phenomenon will impact southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. The Vancouver-Seattle-Portland-Calgary area will undergo an extreme heat dome. According to Meteo Media, we are talking about temperatures between 35 and 45 ° C, or between 15 and 25 ° C above normal. Currently, an anticyclone is intensifying in the Pacific Ocean, moving up towards this northern region where the air will warm up enormously at altitude. The phenomenon in question will branch off and will penetrate inland. The mercury will therefore reach extreme values in this gigantic dome which will then be located at a very northern latitude, straddling the border between the two countries.
According to meteorologists, the region is about to experience temperatures worthy of those of the Valley of Death in California. On Friday, June 25, 2021, the dome in question will impact Vancouver and Seattle and will settle inland the following day, until Monday. The states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon (United States) as well as the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta (Canada) will be severely affected. The heat dome will cover a distance as important as unusual, notably passing the town of Great Falls, in the state of Montana – more than 800 km east of Seattle.
Many temperature records threatened
In Canada, the all-time heat record was July 5, 1937, with 45 ° C in Yellowgrass, Saskatchewan. However, this national record could perhaps fall this weekend. It appears that all the absolute heat records in the region – especially for the month of June – are under threat. However, a large majority of these same records exceed 35 ° C and sometimes even 40 ° C. In Vancouver, where the temperature is around 20 ° C at this time of year, the mercury could easily exceed 35 ° C. Remember, however, that the last time the local population saw a temperature of 30 ° C was in 2013!
Obviously, states located much further south such as Arizona, California and Nevada are also affected. Already struggling with the heat, they could also see records falling. June 21st, Sky News indicated, for example, that the city of Phoenix (Arizona) had seen a temperature of 46 ° C for five consecutive days.
Finally, the health impact of the heat wave is not the only concern. Indeed, the authorities of the two countries fear that the heat will intensify the forest fires. The point is that these fires are particularly early and intense this year, fires that a chronic drought is already making worse.
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