About 115 million people are still under alert in the U.S. as heat wave continue impacting both coasts of the country. Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C. and New York City are among the cities reached by alerts of "extremely dangerous heat," according to the National Weather Service.
Palm Springs, in California, has already reported a record temperature of 124 °F. Other areas have forecasted records of their own, including Portland, Phoenix, Orlando and Galveston.
"These conditions will be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly if not taken seriously," said the service in a statement. "The multi-day nature of the heat and record warm overnight temperatures will cause heat stress to build in people without adequate cooling and hydration." Much of the West coast will still be under heat advisories throughout the next week.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared an extreme heat emergency on Friday and through Tuesday. "Both the record-breaking temperatures and the duration of heat present a clear and present danger, particularly for children, elders, people with disabilities, and people who work outside," Kotek said in a statement.
No place in the country is set to be hotter than the Death Valley National Park, where the temperatures are expected to reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit between July 8-9. If it does, it will set the record for the hottest temperature ever "reliably measured on Earth" according to Scientific American.
Death Valley currently holds the record thanks to its desert climate and has previously experienced temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit back in August 2020 and again in July 2021.
Chris Outler, a forecaster with the weather service's Las Vegas office said that there is a 20% chance the park will hit the 130-degree mark next week.
Heat is the number one weather killer in the United States, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Each year, approximately 1,300 people in the U.S. die from exposure to extreme heat and that figure is just expected to increase thanks to the accelerating effects of climate change.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
