Only 109F in Furnace Creek as of 11am.. possibly as high as 121F today (not sure on how often that sensor is able to update, it's sent via satellite). #DeathValleyNationalPark#NPS#heatwave#heat#CAwx
It’s not summer yet, but more than 17 million people in the western United States are already under excessive heat warnings as temperatures climb 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above average, with large swaths of California expecting to see thermometers hit 108F (42.2C). Meteorologists are saying the scorching weather is caused by a heat dome, when high pressure traps heat over an area, making it hotter the longer it lasts. The BBC has more.
"...What if, instead, the electricity goes out for several days during a blistering summer heat wave in a city that depends on air-conditioning in those months?... n Dr. Chester’s scenario, a compounding crisis of extreme heat and a power failure in a major city like Houston could lead to a series of cascading failures, exposing vulnerabilities in the region’s infrastructure that are difficult to foresee and could result in thousands, or even tens of thousands, of deaths from heat exposure in a matter of days. " #heatwave#disaster#DisasterPreparedness#climateemergency
"...researchers modeled the health consequences for residents in a two-day, citywide blackout during a heat wave, with electricity gradually restored over the next three days.
The results were shocking: in Phoenix, about 800,000 people — roughly half the population — would need emergency medical treatment for heat stroke and other illnesses. The flood of people seeking care would overwhelm the city’s hospitals. More than 13,000 people would die." #heatwave#disasters#climateemergency#ac#power#heatstroke