One heat record replaces the next in the western part of the United States during the day. The heat record will break previous records and the risk of triggering forest fires is rising sharply.
Now, all emergency and rescue services in several states are on alert to deal with what is to come.
view more
–
– Not natural
Researchers have long warned about this crisis, and now they see that their studies and models are becoming a reality.
– It is clear that what we are now experiencing is not natural. The reason for this is undoubtedly man-made, says paleoclimatologist Kathleen Johnson The Guardian.
The heat wave that is ravaging the United States is simultaneously breaking hundreds of temperature records, exacerbating an already historic drought in the country and preparing the ground through summer and autumn for extreme forest fires.
BURNER: In 2020, forest fires ravaged with violent force and fatal consequences in the United States: The image is from Madera County, California. Photo: AFP / NTB.
view more
Deadly heat wave
More than 40 million Americans must be prepared for a possible long-lasting and potentially deadly heat wave, writes CNN.
Salt Lake City reached 107 Fahrenheit on June 15, equivalent to 42 degrees Celsius. In Phoenix it was measured 46.1 degrees and in Needles, California it was 49.4 degrees. These are new record levels for the month of June.
Warmer and drier
The heat wave and the exceptional drought in the southwest are part of a harmful and so-called “feedback loop” due to climate change: The hotter it gets, the drier it gets. The drier it gets, the hotter it gets, the website writes Energy and Climate.
– I’m worried about this summer – this does not bode well in terms of what we can expect with fire and the worsening drought. This current drought is potentially the worst we have seen in at least 1200 years. The cause is directly related to climate change caused by humans, says Professor Kathleen Johnson at the University of California.
LOW WATER: The drought has led to extremely low water levels in several watercourses and lakes. The photo is from Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nevada, Photo: REUTERS / NTB.
view more
In April, Governor Gavin Newsom of California declared a drought disaster in 41 of California’s 58 counties. $ 5.1 billion has been allocated to secure water supplies, and the state has purchased six new helicopters to put out forest fires.
May collapse
Now that the temperature has risen to around 40 degrees, Governor Gavin Newsom has asked people to be careful, and limit the use of electricity in the evening. The reason is that the demand and load on the power grid can become so great that it breaks down. Several hydropower plants are in danger of being shut down due to the drought. This will put pressure on the power grid in the middle of the hottest part of the summer.
The ongoing drought in the western United States means that the water level in California’s 1,500 water reservoirs is only half as high as in a normal year.
As devastating as last year
In 2020, forest fires in California extinguished around 16,000 square kilometers, and the rescue service now fears that this year’s season could be just as devastating.
Fires have already raged in several states, and California is now in full swing.
