A dangerous heatwave is continuing to affect the southern part of the United States, with temperatures expected to exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in multiple places this week.
In a July 16 update, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned about an “extremely dangerous heat wave” that is affecting the southwest to continue in the region through at least the next weekend.
Starting Monday, “dangerous heat” will begin building up in the Gulf Coast and southeast region again, with heat index readings of over 110 degrees Fahrenheit expected through Friday, NWS said.
In some locations in the southwest—San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert, and Great Basin—the NWS predicts potential “all-time heat records.” Almost 100 million people are under NWS heat alerts.
An “Excessive Heat Warning” has been issued for some regions in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas for Monday. Temperatures in Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas can range from “major” to “extreme,” the agency warned.
A “major” warning indicates that the heat can affect anyone without adequate hydration or cooling. An “extreme” warning is a rare, potentially long-duration heat with little to no overnight relief.
A billboard displays the temperature that was forecast to reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit, in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 16, 2023. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)The NWS is advising people to “take the heat seriously” and avoid spending time outdoors.
“Temperatures will reach levels that will pose a health risk, and be potentially deadly to anyone without adequate hydration or effective cooling,” it warned, adding that “heat is the leading weather-related killer in the U.S.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an advisory for employees warning about heat exposure. It has advised workers to drink a cup of cool water once every 20 minutes; take rest breaks in a cool or shady location; and watch out for coworkers for signs of heat illnesses.
Furthermore, the advisory asked people to “ease into work” as nearly three out of four health-related illnesses happen during the first week of work. New workers need to build up tolerance to the heat.
While working outdoors, people should not work more than 20 percent of the shift allocation at full intensity, and must take frequent breaks, OSHA said.
The intense heatwave in the southwest is being blamed on a heat dome, which is created when a ridge of high pressure builds in a region and fails to move up for a week or more. The high pressure causes air to sink, which results in temperatures to rise. As the air is unable to escape the dome, temperatures keep warming, even to dangerous levels.
In a July 17 update, the NWS blamed the expected “near-record temperatures” for each day this week on “a strong and persistent high-pressure system.”
The hottest place on earth, California’s Death Valley, recently saw record temperatures. On Sunday, the Furnace Creek region of Death Valley saw temperatures hit 126 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius), a record for July 16, according to NWS Las Vegas.
A heat advisory sign is shown along U.S. highway 190 during a heat wave in Death Valley National Park in Death Valley, California, on July 16, 2023. (Ronda Churchill/AFP via Getty Images)The hottest ever temperature on earth was recorded over 100 years ago in 1913 in Furnace Creek at 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius).
Meanwhile, in Arizona’s Phoenix, the region has seen temperatures rising to 110 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days consecutively. This has forced several businesses to adjust their hours or even shut down.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 600 Americans die of heat-related illnesses every year.
Between 2018 and 2020, a total of 3,066 heat-related deaths were registered, with 55- to 64-year olds accounting for the highest proportion of deaths at 19 percent. Among individuals between 5 and 14 years and 55 to 64 years, the percentage of deaths was seen to increase with age.
The most serious heat-related illness is heat stroke, which occurs when the body becomes incapable of controlling its temperature.
In such a situation, the body’s temperature will keep rising rapidly, the sweating mechanism will fail, and the body becomes unable to cool down. A heat stroke can result in death or permanent disability.
Heat exhaustion is another major illness caused by exposure to excessive heat. It is the body’s response to an excess loss of water and salt. The condition usually affects elderly people, those working in a hot environment, and people with high blood pressure.
The CDC has published a list of heat-related illness symptoms as well as what people can do immediately to deal with it.