The National Weather Service warned that extreme heat will affect more than 100 million people in the US this week, with temperatures in the triple digits in some states and temperature records broken in many areas across the country.
“Above-normal temperatures will continue to prevail across much of the U.S. through the end of the week, with a significant portion of the population remaining under heat advisories and warnings,” the agency said.
Heat warnings and advisories are in place for 28 states, with central and southern states bearing the brunt of the scorching heat.
Some parts of Oklahoma reached 115F (46C) this week, while the Dallas area hit 109F (42C).
Emergency medical services in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have seen an increase in heat-related emergency calls this year. The city’s emergency medical service said it has received nearly 250 calls this year, a number that is usually reached later in the summer.
“It’s very concerning,” the department’s Adam Paluca told CNN. “Especially because the amount of patients being transported indicates that some of those calls are heat strokes, which can be deadly.”
In the Northeast, where temperatures settled above 90F (32C), city leaders warned residents to limit outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day.
Philadelphia declared a “heat health emergency” for Thursday and set up a “heat line” number for residents experiencing intense heat. Boston opened community centers and swimming pools as places for residents to cool off.
“Clearly, a changing climate is a risk to our health,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Wednesday. “I urge everyone to stay cool and safe and check on your neighbors this week.”
Phoenix, America’s hottest city, has issued an extreme heat warning for Thursday and Friday. Temperatures are forecast to reach 113F (45C) Thursday afternoon and 115F (46C) Friday afternoon. Heat advisories are only issued when temperatures are higher than average for the time of year, and in Phoenix in July that means temperatures above 112F. So far this year, the city has broken or tied four daytime records and nine nighttime lows.
The effects of heat are cumulative and the body only begins to recover when temperatures drop below 80F. Climate scientists have warned that heatwaves – which have spread across Europe and Asia this summer – will be more intense and long-lasting if the climate emergency is not addressed. A study published in May found that human influence on the climate makes a particular heat wave 30 times more likely to occur in South Asia.
Speaking in Somerset, Massachusetts, about the climate crisis on Wednesday, Joe Biden said global warming was an “emergency” but stopped short of declaring a national emergency, as activists had hoped the president would. Such a declaration would allow Biden to block crude oil imports or direct the military to work on renewable energy production. The White House said a formal declaration of a state of emergency was “still on the table.”
“This is a literal, not figurative, clear and present danger,” Biden said. “The health of our citizens and communities is literally at stake.”
Additional reporting by Nina Lakhani
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