Staff Writer
From California to the Gulf of Mexico, temperatures are poised to surge to record highs, posing health hazards and putting a strain on electrical infrastructures for days.
This weekend, temperatures will break daily records in California, Nevada, and Arizona, reaching or approaching all-time highs in some places, according to US Weather Prediction Center senior branch forecaster Zack Taylor. Heat will also move eastward into Texas and the Gulf Coast, where humidity will make the situation even worse.
Taylor remarked, “Given the intensity and duration, that is going to become very dangerous.” “We are expecting this heat wave to last even past this weekend.”
Last month, record-breaking heat in Texas and Mexico taxed both countries’ energy infrastructure as demand rose. The demand for electricity reached an unofficial top of 80.8 gigawatts on June 27, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which also predicts additional record highs this week.
This week’s sweltering weather hasn’t just been an issue for the US. From Germany to the Balkans, Europe is experiencing extreme heat, which is straining the region’s energy and transportation infrastructure as river levels fall.
This week’s sweltering weather hasn’t just been an issue for the US. Extreme It’s another proof that climate change is increasing temperatures and causing heat waves to occur more frequently and intensely. Crops are wilting, transportation systems are being disrupted, and energy grids are being destroyed by extreme weather. Humidity adds another layer of difficulty to human survival.
The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings and watches for California, Nevada, and Arizona, where some locations could see temperatures as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). Heat advisories extend across south Florida and Texas from New Mexico to the east.
The National Weather Service said that starting on Wednesday, maximum temperatures in Dallas and San Antonio could reach 102F, with humidity making it seem as high as 111.
According to Mexico’s national weather service, temperatures are expected to reach 110F or higher in the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.
Little in the forecast suggests that the heat will abate any time soon, according to Taylor. The central US will be covered by a wide ridge of high pressure that will maintain the heat bearing down and divert any storms that might attempt to move it.
According to the US Climate Prediction Center, Texas and South Florida may see oppressive heat until at least July 24 and into August.
Taylor predicted that a long-lasting heat wave would hit the southern portion of the US.
