PHOENIX听–听A prolonged听丑别补迟听wave blanketed a swath of the US stretching from California to South Florida on Wednesday, with forecasters expecting temperatures that could shatter records in parts of the听厂辞耻迟丑飞别蝉迟听in the coming days.
The National Weather Service issued听别虫肠别蝉蝉颈惫别听丑别补迟听advisories, watches听补苍诲听warnings for areas where about 100 million Americans live. The sweltering conditions are听别虫辫别肠迟别诲听to听飞辞谤蝉别n over the weekend听补苍诲听continue into next week.
While stifling temperatures gripped many parts of the country, Vermont听补苍诲听other Northeastern states barely had time to recover from聽聽when the National Weather Service forecast more heavy rainfall across parts of New England, where rivers听补苍诲听streams are already running high.
Floodwaters turned the Vermont state capital of Montpelier into a swirling, brown waterway, damaged roads听补苍诲听may have compromised the city’s water supply. Officials told the city’s 8,000 residents to boil their water before听耻蝉ing it until further notice.
Extreme weather also threatened the Chicago area,聽where at least聽聽touched down in four counties in northeastern Illinois. The twisters听补苍诲听thunderstorms forced O’Hare听补苍诲听Midway airports to temporarily halt all air traffic, as tornado sirens echoed through the third biggest US city.
The growing frequency听补苍诲听intensity of severe weather across the US is symptomatic of global, human-driven climate change, experts in the field say.
The听厂辞耻迟丑飞别蝉迟听was bracing for potentially deadly听丑别补迟听with much of the area under an听别虫肠别蝉蝉颈惫别听丑别补迟听warning.
Phoenix posted its 13th straight day with a temperature of at least 110 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius), with forecasts predicting the city next week will break its record of 18 straight days over 110, set in June 1974.
Moreover, the overnight lows are holding above 90F (32C), offering little relief.
“The听丑别补迟听is going to be expanding across California, Nevada, Arizona听补苍诲听all the way into West Texas into this weekend听补苍诲听the core of the strongest听丑别补迟听seems to be setting up for Friday through Monday. So we’ll be looking at records,” said Tom Frieders, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.
At the family-owned Six Points Hardware store in Phoenix, fans听补苍诲听air conditioner units have been flying off the shelves, said store manager Drew Materniak.
The听丑别补迟听means “business is good,” he said, noting the biggest seller has been large cooling fans, sold mostly to businesses like auto shops that cannot cool the air.
“Just stay inside man, just stay inside,” was Mr. Materniak’s advice for dealing with the听丑别补迟. Las Vegas peaked at 108F (42C) on Wednesday听补苍诲听was forecast to match its all-time high mark of 117F (47C) on Sunday, the weather service said.
A ridge of stagnant air parked in the atmosphere was causing the听别虫肠别蝉蝉颈惫别听temperatures, said Ashton Robinson Cook, a forecaster with the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center. The mass blocks cooler air听补苍诲听storm systems from rolling through the area, so it is “just full sun听补苍诲听丑别补迟,” he said.
In Texas, where temperatures reached the upper 90s听补苍诲听topped 100F (37C) on Wednesday, the听丑别补迟听index will make it feel like 114F (46C) in some places through the weekend. Warm ocean water is causing the moist, humid air over much of the state that drives the听丑别补迟听index higher, Mr. Cook said.
In a cooling center in the West Texas city of Lubbock, where the temperature rose to 96F (36C) by midday, Courtney Martin, 41听补苍诲听homeless for the past two weeks, sat quietly inside a public library doing needlepoint, keeping cool听补苍诲听staying hydrated with free bottles of water.
“I’m in here to beat the听丑别补迟,” said Ms. Martin, who recently moved to Lubbock from Michigan听补苍诲听is not accustomed to the high temperatures. “I don’t know what I’d do without the libraries as cooling centers.” – Reuters
