Forty-two million people are watching for heat and warnings in the southwest over the weekend as the heat dome rises over the region, with temperatures rising to dangerous levels from Texas to Arizona and northwest to the Central Valley of California.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is the leading weather killer in the United States, and the first such event of the season could be particularly dangerous, as people are not yet accustomed to such high temperatures.
Threat level: Temperatures are expected to rise to 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix by Sunday, with the National Weather Service warning of a “very high risk of heat” and warning that the heat will be excessive “even by local standards”.
- Daily temperature records will be threatened in Las Vegas over the weekend.
- In Death Valley, California, the hottest place in the United States, temperatures could reach or exceed 120 ° F for the first time this year, leveling or breaking daily records there.
- The heat is spreading in California, where three-digit temperatures in Sacramento are forecast for the next three days. Working outdoors will be especially dangerous, warns NWS.
- Low temperatures at night are expected to remain high in Central and Southern California, likely to break records on Thursday and Friday nights.
- In the United States as a whole, low night temperatures rise faster than high daytime temperatures, and when nighttime temperatures remain particularly warm, it can be difficult for the human body to cool down and get relief. This increases the risk of heat-related diseases, which can be fatal.
- City dwellers and those without air conditioning are at greatest risk.
Zoom: In Phoenix, the heat is expected to peak on Saturday, with the highest temperatures of 112-116 ° F. The daily high temperature record for this date is 114 ° F, set in 1918.
- In Las Vegas, high temperatures this weekend could reach 109 ° F, which would equal the daily record on Saturday. The heat will probably continue there at least until Sunday. The lowest values at night are also expected to be in the mid-80s, close to record levels for this time of year.
- Sacramento is likely to have three days of three-digit heat, including Thursday to Saturday, along with unusually warm night temperatures.
What’s next: After Sunday, the high-pressure zone or “thermal dome” associated with the event is expected to bend east to Texas, where Houston is experiencing hot 100-degree temperatures and there are signs that next week there may be a significant hot event in the south, southeast and potentially in the Mid-Atlantic.
Meanwhile … in areas on the periphery of the thermal dome, complexes of strong thunderstorms are likely to develop every afternoon at night, with storms spreading to several states with strong winds, hail and torrential rain.
- It is known that this type of meteorological models create particularly widespread areas with severe weather and are called the ring of fire, as storms erupt at the dividing line between high heat and areas with relatively cooler conditions.
Context: Dry soils from the mega-drought associated with global warming in the region will help raise temperatures.
- More frequent and severe waves are one of the most striking manifestations of man-made global warming, studies show.
- Climate change is leading to more frequent, intense and longer lasting heat waves.
Add Comment