Heat Warnings Across US As Climate Experts Warn of Spike In Very Hot Days

[appalachiablue]

Source: The Guardian

More than half the US was under excessive heat warnings on Friday amid a brutal heatwave – which experts warned could become the “new normal” because of the climate crisis.

Forecasters warned of “very dangerous heat” as temperatures rose to 100F (37.7C) – particularly in urban areas where the mass of buildings creates “heat islands”. Alerts were in place in states as far reaching as New Mexico and Maine.

The worst of the heatwave is expected to be felt in Washington DC, Richmond, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina, where air temperatures of about 100F are predicted on Saturday and Sunday, with a heat index – which is closer to what the temperature actually feels like – of 110 to 115F (43.3 to 46.1C).

A heat “dome” of hot and humid weather is roasting the midwest. The high humidity makes it more difficult for the human body to cool itself down by sweating, because perspiration does not evaporate easily in the moist air.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/19/heat-warnings-us-temperatures-climate-crisis

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167 million people are under a heat advisory or excessive heat warning said the National Weather Service.

A NWS meteorologist said, “It’s very dangerous heat. It’s not just how hot it’s going to get in the day – overnight temperatures are only falling into the mid 70s to low 80s. So the big problem, of course, is going to be urban areas because of the ‘heat islands’ that you get.”

June this year was the hottest month in history, a record that could be broken by July. The number of extremely hot days in the US could more than double as the impact of the climate crisis is felt according to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Heatwaves are likely to become common as heating across the globe increases their strength and likelihood, and as the impact is felt by millions in the US and by agriculture.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. Phoenix is not a dry heat.

The pollution is visible on the horizon. I made a stop to stock up my empty cupboards today, no waiting at 11am on a Friday at Fry's.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Big cities really suffer since the concrete and asphalt sucks

the heat in all day and when it doesn't cool at night the heat stays trapped, making it feel even hotter. Add the humidity and forget it.

[appalachiablue]

3. Yes, places w 'urban heat islands' which include dense buildings

in downtown cities and close-in suburbs anymore, the ones loaded with new construction, more automobile traffic and loss of trees and green spaces. The next years will be very uncomfortable and unsafe for many, to put it mildly...

[SCVDem]

4. Just before you die,

Like the Cowardly Lion believing in spooks.

Die knowing that Climate Change is REAL!

Now die! There are so many younger than you who you have fucked up!

Greedy bastards!

[The_jackalope]

7. Don't worry, we oldsters will be the first off the cliff

Then comes the time you youngsters will envy our early deaths.

[SCVDem]

8. At 64 I'm on the ledge also.

So many lies and deceptions.

[susanna]

5. It's been the "new normal" for several years in my area.

I live in SE Michigan. Used to be, 15-20 years ago, August was the tough, hot month. These days it's moved to mid July. And it is like nothing I remember. Suffocating, awful humidity and heat. Relentless. August cools earlier.

Our winters are also more extreme. The polar vortex shifts down from Canada, and from late January through March it's like the Arctic tundra here. We don't see an actual start to spring until late April (used to be late March).

I grow half my food during the summer months. Just something I love to do. I have become a ninja gardener trying to encapsulate all the changes in climate. I no longer grow peas or lettuce (there is no real 'spring' here anymore, so it's not worth it). I worry every single year about my tomato/pepper/tomatillo/potato crops getting enough sunlight and heat before it abruptly cools in mid-August.

I used to have bumper crops all the time. Now I rely on the science I know to eke out what I can (hoophouses, plant placement)...and my yield is far less than it used to be.

I can't even imagine what actual farmers are going through.

[Maxheader]

6. We're supposed to have a cool front coming through late sunday,

Early monday...
sc kansaas...

Moron meteroligists telling us.."yes folks, not only hot but windy.."

The wind is a saviour...I can testify from my bike riding...