Record-Breaking Heatwave in US West Linked to Climate Crisis
This week, the US west experienced unseasonably warm and hazardous temperatures, reaching up to 30F (17C) above the average for this time of year. A team of scientists has concluded that such extreme heat would have been “virtually impossible” without the influence of the climate crisis.
Millions of Americans from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains endured this intense heatwave, which experts attribute primarily to the burning of fossil fuels driving climate change. According to a recent analysis, the climate crisis has increased the likelihood of such heatwaves occurring by a factor of four over the past decade.
“These temperatures are completely off the scale for March,”said Ben Clarke, an extreme weather and climate change researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.
The analysis, conducted by World Weather Attribution—an international consortium of climate researchers—also indicates that even as recently as 2016, the heatwave would have been less severe, with temperatures approximately 1.4F (0.8C) cooler.
“These findings leave no room for doubt. Climate change is pushing weather into extremes that would have been unthinkable in a preindustrial world,”stated Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at Imperial College London and contributor to the study.
Methodology of the Climate Impact Analysis
To perform their rapid assessment, scientists examined forecasts over a five-day period from 18 to 22 March. They analyzed both observed weather and forecast data, supplemented by climate model simulations, to evaluate how global warming has altered the frequency and intensity of such heat events.
The heatwave was driven by a high-pressure system in the atmosphere, creating a heat dome that shattered temperature records in 140 cities stretching from California to Missouri. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warnings for California, Nevada, and Arizona on Thursday.
Temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days, particularly in the southwestern US, with the heatwave projected to expand toward the plains and southern regions later this week. By week’s end, up to 100 cities could break all-time March temperature records, with temperatures soaring as much as 30F (17C) above average, according to the new analysis.
Health and Economic Impacts of the Heatwave
Heat is the deadliest form of extreme weather in the United States. This week, weather officials expressed concern over a rise in heat-related illnesses, especially among vulnerable populations. They advised residents to stay hydrated and remain indoors when possible.
The heatwave has also adversely affected local economies. Several ski resorts in California and the Tahoe area have been forced to close due to rapid snowmelt and high temperatures.
“In the US west, the seasons that people and nature were used to for centuries are disappearing, putting many, including outdoor workers and those without air conditioning, in danger,”Otto emphasized.
“The threat isn’t distant – it is here, it is worsening and our policy must catch up with reality.”
