SOME 80 million people in the United States have been placed under excessive heatwave warnings this week as temperatures soar to triple digits disrupting services in areas such as energy and transportation.
Affected states include Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee but additional warnings have also been issued to other states including California and Florida.
Already, 14 heat-related deaths have been reported in the southern U.S.
Texas has had the highest death toll of 11. This includes a 14-year-old boy who was hiking in the big bend national park in Texas on Friday when the temperature reached 119 degrees.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, the latest reports say at least 112 have lost their lives from the extreme heatwave – nearly 3 times higher than the overall number of heat-related deaths in 2022, according to Mexico’s health ministry.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites have been watching the effects of a heat dome that settled over Texas and parts of Mexico since early June 2023.
The heat dome is expected to spread southward and persist through July 4 with no relief in sight.
To note, a heat dome is a ridge of high pressure that traps hot air.
While the heat dome is causing record-breaking temperatures in the south, it has also led to severe weather.
The edge of the heat dome meeting with cooler air can trigger severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and high winds.
Scientists say the growing frequency and intensity of severe weather across the united states is symptomatic of human-driven climate change.
