Latest news with #extremetemperatures
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Northeast braces for record-breaking temperatures
More than 100 million Americans from the Central Plains to the Northeast are bracing for a powerful heat dome that will bring extreme temperatures through next week . A heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps hot air and blocks cooler air, is driving prolonged heat waves across the US. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that on Friday, temperatures in central states like Colorado , Nebraska , Kansas , Iowa , Missouri and Illinois will climb to the upper 90s to low 100s°F, with heat indices exceeding 105°F due to high humidity. Cities like Omaha, Topeka, and Kansas City face excessive heat warnings, signaling serious health risks for those without adequate cooling or hydration. Minnesota , Wisconsin and Michigan are also sweltering, with highs in the low to mid-90s°F and heat indices nearing 100°F. Minneapolis is among the cities under heat advisories. Over the weekend, the heat dome will shift eastward, intensifying heat in the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. On Saturday, New York City will reach the low 90s°F, with heat indices near 100°F due to humid Atlantic air. By Sunday, Boston and Philadelphia are forecast to hit the mid-90s°F, with heat indices up to 104°F. The NWS urges residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid direct sunlight, and check on vulnerable neighbors. Cooling centers are opening in cities like New York and Philadelphia to provide relief. A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity, said Ricky Castro, a NWS meteorologist in Illinois. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus warned: 'From Monday to Wednesday, the Northeast will face dangerous heat, with widespread highs in the 90s and some areas nearing 100°F, spiking energy demands and requiring limited exposure .' The heat dome will peak on Monday, June 23, with the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England at 'high risk' of extreme heat, potentially straining power grids. Tom Kines, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, said: 'A lot of those folks have been saying, where's summer? Well, buckle up, because it's coming.' With limited days of warmth over much of the northern Plains, Midwest and Northeast so far this year, the surging heat could catch people off guard as it will be accompanied by some of the most intense sunshine of the year along with high humidity levels . With sweltering humidity and relentless daytime heat, many urban areas are expected to see little relief overnight. Temperatures will briefly dip into the 70s before climbing again, making it difficult for those without air conditioning to cool down or recover, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Danielle Ehresman. The intense conditions will likely drive up energy demand and significantly increase the risk of heat-related illness. AccuWeather warns that RealFeel Temperatures could soar 5 to 15 degrees higher than actual readings, topping 100°F in many regions, even where the official highs remain in the 90s. Residents are urged to limit outdoor activity during the midday and afternoon hours when the heat will be at its most oppressive. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said: 'The magnitude and longevity of this heat wave will be a shock to the system.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Live tracker reveals where 100m Americans will roast under 'heat dome' starting TODAY
More than 100 million Americans from the Central Plains to the Northeast are bracing for a powerful heat dome that will bring extreme temperatures through next week. A heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps hot air and blocks cooler air, is driving prolonged heat waves across the US. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that on Friday, temperatures in central states like Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois will climb to the upper 90s to low 100s°F, with heat indices exceeding 105°F due to high humidity. Cities like Omaha, Topeka, and Kansas City face excessive heat warnings, signaling serious health risks for those without adequate cooling or hydration. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are also sweltering, with highs in the low to mid-90s°F and heat indices nearing 100°F. Minneapolis is among the cities under heat advisories. Over the weekend, the heat dome will shift eastward, intensifying heat in the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. On Saturday, New York City will reach the low 90s°F, with heat indices near 100°F due to humid Atlantic air. By Sunday, Boston and Philadelphia are forecast to hit the mid-90s°F, with heat indices up to 104°F. The NWS urges residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid direct sunlight, and check on vulnerable neighbors. Cooling centers are opening in cities like New York and Philadelphia to provide relief. A heat dome occurs when a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a reservoir that traps heat and humidity, said Ricky Castro, a NWS meteorologist in Illinois. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus warned: 'From Monday to Wednesday, the Northeast will face dangerous heat, with widespread highs in the 90s and some areas nearing 100°F, spiking energy demands and requiring limited exposure.' The heat dome will peak on Monday, June 23, with the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England at 'high risk' of extreme heat, potentially straining power grids. Tom Kines, a meteorologist at AccuWeather, said: 'A lot of those folks have been saying, where's summer? Well, buckle up, because it's coming.' With limited days of warmth over much of the northern Plains, Midwest and Northeast so far this year, the surging heat could catch people off guard as it will be accompanied by some of the most intense sunshine of the year along with high humidity levels. With sweltering humidity and relentless daytime heat, many urban areas are expected to see little relief overnight. Temperatures will briefly dip into the 70s before climbing again, making it difficult for those without air conditioning to cool down or recover, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Danielle Ehresman. The intense conditions will likely drive up energy demand and significantly increase the risk of heat-related illness. AccuWeather warns that RealFeel® Temperatures could soar 5 to 15 degrees higher than actual readings, topping 100°F in many regions, even where the official highs remain in the 90s. Residents are urged to limit outdoor activity during the midday and afternoon hours when the heat will be at its most oppressive. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said: 'The magnitude and longevity of this heat wave will be a shock to the system.' Doctors urge the public to take excessive heat warnings seriously, as extreme temperatures pose a significant health risk. Each year, more than 700 people in the US die from heat-related illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Fifth National Climate Assessment identifies extreme heat as the deadliest weather-related hazard in the country.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
UK has 50:50 chance of 40C temperatures again in next 12 years, Met Office says
The UK has a 50:50 chance of seeing temperatures soar to 40C again in the next 12 years, as the risk of extreme heat rises with climate change, the Met Office said. The meteorological experts also warned that far higher temperatures of 45C or more 'may be possible' in today's climate, while heatwaves could go on for a month or more. Temperatures hit 40C in the UK for the first time on record amid the heatwave and drought summer of 2022, peaking at 40.3C in Coningsby in Lincolnshire on July 19, outstripping the previous top temperature of 38.7C in Cambridge, set just three years earlier, by 1.6C. Major incidents were announced by fire brigades in London, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire as dozens of fires broke out and ripped through houses, schools, churches and farmland, while there was widespread disruption to transport and power systems. More than 1,000 excess deaths among older people were recorded around the four-day peak of the heatwave, with more than 3,000 heat-related deaths in England over summer 2022. Analysis by the Met Office, using global models to create a large number of climate outcomes in current conditions, shows the risk of 40C temperatures in the UK has been rapidly increasing. A study published in Weather Journal shows that the chance of temperatures hitting 40C is more than 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s, and has almost trebled since the year 2000. With ongoing climate change pushing up temperatures, the chances of exceeding 40C are continuing to increase, with a 50:50 chance of a day hitting that threshold again in the next 12 years, the Met Office said. Temperatures several degrees higher than the July 2022 record – up to a maximum of 46.6C – are also 'plausible'. Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office, and lead author of the study, said: 'The chance of exceeding 40C has been rapidly increasing, and it is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising. 'We estimate a 50:50 chance of seeing a 40C day again in the next 12 years. 'We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate.' Its study also looked at heatwaves, and found that 'much more severe' extremes could occur in the current climate. The climate model shows up to two-thirds of summer days could be above the heatwave threshold of 28C in south-east England, with more than a month in continuous heatwave. And 12 consecutive days above 35C is also possible, the study says. Met Office experts said the findings showed the need to prepare and plan for the impacts of rising temperatures and extreme heat. Dr Nick Dunstone, Met Office science fellow and co-author of the study, said: 'The well-known hot summer of 1976 had more than a fortnight above 28°C, which is a key heatwave threshold in south-east England. 'Our study finds that in today's climate such conditions could persist for a month or more. 'These findings highlight the need to prepare and plan for the impacts of rising temperatures now, so we can better protect public health, infrastructure, and the environment from the growing threat of extreme heat.'
Bloomberg
01-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Protect Workers From Heat Waves or Face Fines, Japan Tells Firms
Tougher rules being enforced in Japan will see employers fined if they fail to take adequate precautions to protect workers from extreme temperatures. The revised legislation, which came into effect June 1, is a rare global example of a national-level policy on heat safety for employees, and comes after 30 workplace deaths and roughly 1,200 injuries last year associated with high temperatures, according to health ministry data. Most of those affected worked in construction or manufacturing.
CNN
14-05-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Why an intense fire season forecast in Canada is bad news for communities across the US
Wildfires Extreme temperatures Climate changeFacebookTweetLink Follow It could be another dangerously smoky summer for some in the United States as Canada prepares for a busy wildfire season with forecasts also signaling extreme heat is in store for both countries in the coming months. But when it comes to wildfire threats this season, the call is also coming from inside the house for the US: Violent wildfires have already raged in multiple states this year, millions were under red flag warnings this week and an active summer is on the horizon. In Canada, wildfires have scorched tens of millions of acres, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and killed multiple firefighters since the country's record-breaking 2023 fire season. Some fires from the past two years also poured smoke into large population centers in Canada and the US, cratering air quality and ushering in orange-tinted, apocalyptic-looking skies. Planet-heating fossil fuel pollution is tipping the odds that wildfire seasons like 2023 and 2024 – Canada's worst season on record and its second-worst season of the century, respectively – won't remain outliers for long. Here's what we know about this year's Canadian wildfire forecast and how impacts could cross the border. Western Canada is likely to be the epicenter for fires this season. The region is at a greater risk for destructive wildfires than provinces further east, like Ontario and Quebec, because it experiences drier and windier conditions. Wildfires can happen at any time of the year, but May is typically the month where fire activity starts to pick up in Western Canada, according to Richard Carr, a wildfire research analyst and meteorologist with the Canadian Forest Service. 'Generally, we start to see a few small fires pop up in March and a few in April, but things don't usually get going until we get into May or beyond,' Carr explained, but noted fires have started to crop up earlier than normal in recent years. 'Before we get vegetation greening up completely, it's more susceptible to burning,' Carr said. More than 300,000 acres of land in Canada have burned as of May 13, which is much less than the 4 million acres scorched by that point last year and around the 25-year average of 280,000 acres, according to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Western Canada's fire season typically has a slight dip in severity in the late spring when plants have greened up, until intense summer heat arrives and dries out the ground and fuels again. Above-average fire weather severity is forecast for almost all of Western Canada in June and July, but things could take a turn to the extreme in August, according to Natural Resources Canada. Well-above average fire weather severity is forecast for Western Canada with level 5-of-5 extreme severity projected in southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan where millions of people live. Despite the concerning forecasts, a repeat of the previous two wildfire seasons isn't guaranteed. Widespread drought conditions were in place in early spring of 2023 and 2024 and only worsened through summer. While drought is affecting some areas this spring, it's much less widespread than years past, according to the latest Canadian Drought Monitor. But the lack of an El Niño or La Niña – with so-called neutral conditions in effect instead – could also play a role. El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool sides of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate pattern based on sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. They exert a known influence on weather patterns around the globe that can be forecast months in advance, but neutral conditions tend to have less consistent effects overall. Despite this, neutral ENSO conditions have historically been troubling for Canada's wildfire season as they match up with some significant fire years in British Columbia, according to Carr. Neutral ENSO years typically have weather that's warmer and drier than normal – exactly what's shown in this summer's forecasts from Environment and Climate Change Canada. A similar forecast is in effect for parts of the American West. Large wildfires produce dangerous smoke that can reach communities hundreds of miles away. The most extreme recent example of this happened in June 2023, when thick smoke from out-of-control, historic fires in Quebec choked the northeastern US. New York City briefly had the worst air quality in the entire world as smoke made the city's iconic skyline vanish. Wildfire smoke contains very dangerous, tiny pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled. The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. It's impossible to know exactly where smoke from potential wildfires this season will go, but there are a few common scenarios that could bring smoke into the US again. Because the most extreme fire risks are mainly confined to Canada's western provinces this season, cities in the northwestern US states are most likely to face international smoke troubles based purely on proximity. But different atmospheric setups can drag smoke much farther away. Heat domes – large areas of high pressure that park over an area for days – prevent wet or windy weather from happening underneath them and instead force active weather to move along their northern periphery. They often set up over parts of the West and Plains in the summer. Wildfire smoke could be directed over the northern US and into parts of the East if it were to flow out of Canada while a heat dome is stuck over the Plains. Smoke could also flow into the central US if a heat dome sets up over the Southwest. Where and how quickly summer storm systems track through the US also play a role in transporting smoke. A slow-moving storm in the northern US could easily pull smoke south out of Canada – that's exactly what happened to the Northeast in June 2023. Canadian fires won't pose the only smoke risk for the US as wildfire risks ramp up in the western states in the summer, too. Much of the US West will have above-normal wildfire potential by July and increase into August, according to National Interagency Fire Center forecasts. The type of weather that fuels wildfires – dry air and strong winds – is coming together more frequently in parts of Canada and the US as the world continues to warm. And, the most extreme wildfires in North America are getting more intense. The number of days each year with fire weather conditions in place is increasing for much of the US, but nowhere more so than the Rockies and areas west, a recent study from non-profit research group Climate Central found. Parts of Southern California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona now see 'around two more months of fire weather per year compared to a half century ago,' according to the study. A small spark could ignite a raging inferno when weather conditions are primed for fire start and spread, and climate change is also loading the dice toward an insidious smoke threat. Climate change caused approximately 15,000 more deaths in the US from wildfire particulate matter from 2006 to 2020 than would have otherwise occurred in a cooler world, a study published this month found. More than 700,000 people could die from climate change-driven wildfire smoke over the next 30 years in the US and cost $244 billion per year by 2050, according to a study last year. CNN's Jen Christensen contributed to this report.
