Nearly 200 million people in USAor 60% of its population, were under warnings or alerts for heat either floods as high temperatures spread and strong storms are expected in new areas.
The National Weather Service said a “dangerous” heat wave began to hit the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Thursday and will continue through the weekend. Severe storms and flash flooding are possible in parts of the Northeast and South, New England, and South Florida.
Meanwhile, record temperatures will continue to scorch the southwest and the north-central region of the country.
“It’s (affecting) all the big cities,” said Bob Oravec, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. “That’s why the (affected) population is so large.”
Scientists have long warned that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, will cause more and longer episodes of extreme weather.
The prediction that extreme heat will continue comes a day after the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service declared July 2023 the hottest month on record.
On Thursday, the heat and humidity in major cities on the East Coast, including Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City, created a real wind chill that exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). Forecasters expect several more records to be broken on Friday with temperatures running 5.5 to 8 degrees C (10 to 15 F) above average.
In New England, communities are bracing for what Oravec called a “double threat”: extreme heat and flash flooding.
“It could be very hot for a good part of the day and then there is a powerful storm that brings heavy downpours and flooding,” he explained.
In the southwest and in the south of the Great Plains they will continue to experience record heat, a scenario that has been repeated for weeks. A New Mexico meteorologist said the long period of temperatures exceeding 100F (37.8C) was unprecedented.
Due to the extreme heat, two of the nation’s largest power grids are under strain, which could affect Americans’ ability to cool off.
The largest US power grid, PJM Interconnection, declared a level one power emergency for its 13-state grid on Wednesday, signaling it is concerned about its ability to supply enough electricity.
But she is not the only one in this situation. Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which mainly serves the north-central state and the northern Great Plains, issued a similar alert on Thursday.
FOUNTAIN: PA
