China News Network, June 23 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) This is only the first day of the official summer, but as the heat wave continues for several weeks, more than 100 million Americans are undergoing high temperature "baking" test, the US media recently pointed out.
Many parts of the United States have leveled the highest summer temperatures in the past 10 years, or even nearly half a century. As you can see, there is a "fiery red" on the map.
The heat wave hit the United States, and the map of the United States was "red with fire." Image credit: Screenshot of the CNN report
【High temperature breaks record】
The National Weather Service issued a high temperature warning for many places in the United States on the 21st, and CNN said that the eastern and southern regions of the United States set a high temperature record every day, or as many as 100.
Within seven days, more than 70 percent of Americans will experience temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (about 32 degrees Celsius), and 20 percent will see temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 37.7 degrees Celsius).
Infographic: Children play by the fountain pool in Washington, USA.
Houston, Texas, St. Cloud, Missouri, and other places broke temperature records with 101 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38.3 degrees Celsius); In New Orleans, which has opened multiple cooling shelters, the heat index may be as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46.1 degrees Celsius) this week.
The U.S. Bureau of Meteorology said the heat wave would move eastward to the Gulf Coast and Midwest, and spread to the Great Lakes and eastern Carolina. Weather forecasting company AccuWeather warns that more parts of the U.S. will "heat up dramatically" as air currents move north.
【Pizza baked in the car】
The number of people sent to the hospital for heat stroke in the United States is growing rapidly. Many people drink iced drinks to cool off, soak in the pool or go to the open sea to cool off, while many more retreat to air-conditioned rooms.
In these weather conditions, even if the COVID-19 epidemic is still very serious, many Americans can no longer guarantee that they can wear masks at all times outdoors.
Data map: Manhattan, New York, USA, a man leads a puppy to the edge of the pool to cool down.
Brown, a phoenix netizen in Arizona, showed how to bake pizza, burgers and steaks on a car dashboard.
Thermometers showed that the temperature inside his car reached a staggering 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93.3 degrees Celsius), or even higher.
【Many people died of heat】
Us media reminded that extreme heat may be harmful to health, in addition to outdoor workers, especially the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases or mental problems. High temperatures cause ground-level ozone levels to be too high, which can make it difficult for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions to breathe.
In addition, a number of US media reported that a 5-year-old boy was left in the car for several hours while his mother was preparing for a birthday party, and unfortunately died of high temperatures.
The National Weather Service reminds that whether it is hot weather or not, young children, pets, etc. should not be left in unattended vehicles under any circumstances. In a closed car in summer, the deadly temperature can be reached in a few minutes.
Data chart: A man in Portland, Oregon, USA, took off the heat at an emergency shelter.
According to the Associated Press, about 1,500 people die each year in the United States from extreme heat weather, about half of whom are homeless. Hot weather kills more people in the United States than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined.
CNN reported that the deaths of four men in a county in Georgia last week were related to heat. Three of them were homeless, and the fourth was forced to choose between soaring electricity bills and food costs.
Climate scholars caution that vulnerable groups, especially the homeless, are 200 times more likely to die from heat than those with shelters.
【Insufficient electricity, still no water】
"I've never seen a power shortage of this magnitude," says a large U.S. regional grid operator. Entregy, which serves some U.S. states, said it expects energy use to reach unprecedented levels this week.
"As you know, temperature and high load go hand in hand," Federer, a spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Authority, told U.S. media that in response to hot weather, the power company must run at full power, comparable to a "Super Bowl" event.
Just after the summer arrives, 65 million Americans will be "roasted" this week at a record 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Image credit: Screenshot of the CNN report
Earlier, the U.S. power regulator NERC had warned that extreme weather and other environmental factors could cause grid failures in multiple locations. As the heat wave continues, more parts of the country will face power shortages and may have to "take turns blackouts."
Not only that, but for the 165,000 residents of Odessa, Texas, they also had to endure a water outage due to a ruptured local main water pipe that hit more than 30 degrees of heat.
Microsoft NBC pointed out that "the timing of this water pipe rupture cannot be worse." The municipality distributes drinking water at two locations, with a limit of one tank of drinking water per vehicle.
【Climate "messed up"】
According to the New York Times and other media reports, the effects of warming in the United States are becoming more and more obvious, and "each of the more than 400 national parks in the United States is suffering." ↓↓
Joshua Tree National Park
The park is famous for the yucca plant, the drought-tolerant Joshua tree, which can live for 300 years. But the incidence of forest wildfires due to warming has risen, frequently threatening its survival. It is predicted that if humans fail to effectively save it, by the end of the 21st century, this plant may be endangered.
Giant's Pillar National Park
In giant's pillar national park in Arizona, the very drought-tolerant cactus is difficult to withstand the heat and gradually dies.
On June 10, local time, the water level of Lake Mead in Nevada fell to its lowest level in 80 years, and a previously sunken boat was exposed.
Glacier National Park
According to the geological survey, due to the influence of high temperatures, the name of the glacier in this park has been reduced to 25, the ice melting speed is amazing, and the "countdown" to full ice melting has been opened.
Everglades National Park
Warming has led to rising sea levels, and groundwater salinization in this south Florida park threatens the survival of local tropical orchids and wildlife.
Yosemite National Park
From wildfires to droughts to windstorms, the park has lost thousands of giant sequoias over the years.
On September 21, 2021, local time, the sequoia in California's Sequoia National Park burned in a fire.
Meteorologists say temperatures will remain above normal in much of the country by the end of June. Soaring temperatures can dry up the grass, and some scientists warn that the United States could see more frequent and extreme heat in the future.
According to statistics, heat waves have become more frequent, hotter and longer lasting than in the past few decades. The heatwave season in the United States has been extended by as much as 45 days compared to the 1960s.
This summer, the United States is not having a good time! (End)