Topline
Over 65 million people are under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories, as the third heat wave of the summer hits the South and Southwest – and experts say it will “get worse” this weekend.
Temperatures will rise across the South and Southwest over the next two days, expected to hit a … [+]
Key Facts
Temperatures will rise across the South and Southwest over the next two days, expected to hit a whopping 114 degrees in Phoenix on Saturday.
That’s bad news for the West Coast and Southern Plains, where 70% of communities are facing droughts, with some areas in the midst of the “driest megadrought in at least 1,200 years,” a June 14 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Program Office.
In Texas, reservoir levels across 86% of the state are in drought conditions, including 16% in an “exceptional drought” – the most serious classification, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service warns an excessive heat warning can “significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses,” particularly for people working outside or participating in outdoor activities.”
Key Background
The South and Southwest are recovering from record high temperatures during a heat wave two weeks ago that placed 75 million people under heat advisories or warnings, as temperatures reached 114 degrees in Phoenix, 111 in Tucson and 107 in El Paso – setting single-day records in each city, according to the National Weather Service.
Big Number
65 million. That’s how many Americans are under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories in 16 states.
Tangent
Scientists estimate that as soon as 2030, roughly 92% of countries will experience once-in-a-century “extreme” heat waves every other year as fossil fuel emissions continue to rise, according to a January report published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. A 2021 report from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the frequency of heat waves in 50 cities across the U.S. increased from an average of two per year in the 1960s to six in the 2010s, with the heat waves themselves getting longer and becoming more intense.
Contra
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit Montana, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina Wednesday night and Thursday morning – just north of the heat wave.
Further Reading
Record Highs Set In Over Two Dozen U.S. Cities In June Heat Wave – So Far (Forbes)
More Than 70 Million Bake In Record-Breaking Southwest Heat Wave—And It’s Pushing East (Forbes)
By 2030, Earth Could Experience Once-Per-Century Heat Waves Every Other Year, Study Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/07/07/65-million-battle-face-heat-warningsand-it-will-get-worse-this-weekend/