"At midday, more than 35 million people in southern #Texas, #Louisiana and #Florida were under excessive #heat warnings, watches and advisories extending through the three-day Juneteenth weekend, the National Weather Service said.
The growing frequency and intensity of severe weather across the U.S. is symptomatic of human-driven #ClimateChange, climate scientists say."
We've grown used to warnings about dangerous "wet bulb" temperatures in places like India and Southeast Asia, but this is the first time I can recall seeing it in the Caribbean...
Parts of Puerto Rico reached a life-threatening heat index of 125 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, driven by a combination of an intense heat dome, El Niño, and climate change.
Puerto Rico is so hot this week that it’s baffling some weather experts, who warn that other parts of the world will likely experience similar extreme heat this year as climate change and an exceptionally strong El Niño drive global temperatures to historic highs.
Florida-based meteorologist Jeff Berardelli warned of “life-threatening heat” in Puerto Rico, with conditions on the island becoming “so hot that some meteorologists are astonished.”
The heat index — which combines temperature with humidity — soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit across much of the territory on Monday, with parts of Puerto Rico reaching a heat index as high as 125 degrees. High humidity combined with high temperatures can be especially dangerous since less sweat can evaporate off your body to cool it off.
Berardelli linked Puerto Rico’s extreme heat spell this week to several overlapping factors, including the formation of a fierce heat dome just east of the island, a strong El Niño weather pattern amplifying heat waves, and other extreme weather and climate change generally making the oceans warmer. Tropical oceans, he said, have warmed roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution.
The high temperatures might also be getting impacted by what Berardelli called a “wavy jet stream,” when the fast flowing air current that moves around the upper hemisphere of the planet gets interrupted and wobbles like a spinning top rotating off kilter. It’s the same mechanism that has also caused the polar vortex to shoot down into southern states in the U.S. in recent winters, and scientists believe climate change is playing a role in that interruption.
Ultimately, Berardelli said, Puerto Rico’s heat wave shouldn’t be viewed as an isolated incident, and he warned that other parts of the world should anticipate similar hot spells in the coming months.
“As we go deeper into 2023 and El Niño intensifies, we should expect a stunning year of global extremes which boggle the meteorological mind,” he said. “The base climate has heated due to greenhouse warming and a strong El Niño will push us to limits we have yet to observe.”
NWS #Phoenix: "Record or near record hot temperatures will continue this week with forecast highs over 115F in Phoenix and over 111F in Yuma in El Centro. Overnight lows will remain in the mid 90s in Phoenix, challenging the all time record warm low of 96 degrees." #AZwx#Yuma#ElCentro#heatwave#heat
"Extreme" Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) for #Texas right about now. Dramatic heat illness risk if people don't have access to A/C or are working outdoors... or your car breaks down. Or you are homeless. Or if you decide to take a walk around the block.95F WBGT is the limit of human tolerance. #wbgt#heatwave#heathttps://digital.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/
Solar panels + backup battery in Houston (solely to run your A/C) would be useful right about now. Heat Index of 95F. (this, as big chunks of the city are still out of power). Hopefully folks are finding shelter at friends/relatives/etc. #TXwx#heat
Just a reminder: For those of us in areas of the country that get VERY hot in the afternoon (it was 115 #heatindex here yesterday in Central #Florida), it is much better to cool down your house in the AM before it gets too hot outside than to try to cool it back down after the house has heated up.
My temp is normally 75F inside. I cool to 71F in the morning. Yes, a bit chilly... but the house stays ~75F all day long. Without overworking the A/C or heat pump.
“I’m not innocent, I broke the law and deserve to pay for my crime. However, I’m still a human. They even have warnings on the radio ... but we sit here and fry.”
Southern US Reaches Dangerous "Wet Bulb Temperature". Here's What That Means (www.iflscience.com)
Multiple southern states and a few midwestern states are at "extreme threat" levels of "wet bulb temperature".
NBA Finals - Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets Game 5 Discussion Thread (Denver Leads 3-1)
Discussion Thread for Game 5 of the NBA Finals...
The Denver Nuggets win Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the first NBA Championship in franchise history!!!
Congrats Denver!!! 🎉🥳🎉