I don’t think any of us really understand how quickly collapse can happen:
> About 85% of the country expected to see highs of at least 40°C
> Almost 40% of the country’s dams below 20%
> 40% are between 20 and 50%.
> Mexico City (Population 22.51 million) forced to reduce water supply as reservoirs that feed city dry up.
> Stores running out of mineral water.
#Mexico, #Guatemala, #Belize all experiencing extreme record breaking heatwaves accompanied by widespread wildfires and smoke danger. (Image 1 showing increased risk of heat-humidity stress days as we continue to heat)
Instrument readings:
+1.63ºC 12-month running mean above preindustrial (Berkeley Earth/ERA5 datasets)
+1.3ºC latest 5-year average above preindustrial
"Searing #heatwaves could be a common theme this summer in parts of the United States and might make it one of the hottest on record, according to an updated outlook released Thursday by The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2.
The West Coast, from California to southwest Washington, might be the exception. "
NOAA: April 2024 was Earth’s warmest on record "The average global temperature in April was 2.38 degrees F (1.32 degrees C) above the 20th-century average of 56.7 degrees F (13.7 degrees C), making it the warmest April in the global climate record. April 2024 also marked the 11th-consecutive month of record-high global temperatures." https://www.noaa.gov/news/april-2024-was-earths-warmest-on-record#climate#heatwaves#heat
India is currently experiencing a severe heatwave, with very high temperatures in many areas. The heat is so intense that a TV presenter fainted live on air.
Weather prep task for the day: did more work filling a thermal gap between my kitchen and the outside (note to self: you should have trusted that little voice that said "maybe you should insulate that before the contractors come, because they might not be so careful to insulate that spot"). #disasterpreparation#heatwaves
“We Need Shade”: America’s Hottest City Rushes to Plant More Trees - Only about 9 percent of Phoenix has canopy coverage—poor neighborhoods have less. Nina Lakhani 4.18.24
"...Redlined neighborhoods like Grant Park still have higher pollution levels, less vegetation, more noise pollution and higher temperatures. In recent years, the local outdoor pool was shuttered and scores of trees cut down by a previous administration to prevent homeless people from gathering in the shade.
“This is one of the hottest parts of the city because the people here don’t have political power,” said Leo Hernandez, 78, the master gardener at the thriving community garden where he created a butterfly sanctuary for migrating monarchs. “We need shade, but trees also suck up carbon dioxide, create places to socialize and healthier, happier neighborhoods.”
"A study released this year found that extreme temperature shocks – like #heatwaves and cold snaps – are leading to surges in demand for #PaydayLoans in the #US.
The paper suggests extreme heat and cold may increase demand for payday loans in several ways: increased energy costs as people turn on heating or cooling devices, lost income or people who are unable to work in #ExtremeHeat, and health problems leading to medical costs for underinsured or uninsured people."
The theoretical limit to human survival for more than a few hours in the shade, even with unlimited water, is a wet-bulb temperature of 35°C (95°F) - theoretically equivalent to a heat index of 70°C (160°F), though the heat index does not go that high.