Relief is in sight as the remnants of a hurricane approach that will lower temperatures during the weekend but could bring another set of challenges: heavy rains that will be welcomed in the drought-plagued state but might cause flash floods.
Climate change is making the planet warmer, scientists say, and weather-related disasters more extreme. The heat that coloured weather maps dark red for more than a week in California is only a preview of coming attractions.
"We'll see these heat waves continue to get hotter and hotter, longer and longer, more wildfire-plagued," said Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.
