North America experiences soaring temperatures, wildfires
July 12, 2021
Authorities have imposed evacuations, road closures and limited train traffic as North America experiences severe temperatures. Heat warnings were issued for some cities, with record-breaking temperatures likely.
This year was the hottest June in North America.Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
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People across the US and Canada continued to suffer due to soaring temperatures on Sunday, as a heat wave forced evacuations, road closures, and limited train traffic.
The National Weather Service said on its website, "A dangerous heat wave will affect much of the western US, with record-breaking temperatures likely." Excess heat warnings were issued for the cities of Phoenix and San Jose.
Second heat wave since June
Parts of Canada and the US had seen similar extreme weather conditions just a few weeks ago in June. It was the hottest June in North America, according the European Union's climate monitoring service.
Record temperatures felt across the world
Whether in Lapland, Canada or India, summer temperatures are unusually high this year. Even the Southern Hemisphere is seeing this trend, with New Zealand recording its warmest winter in 100 years.
Image: BC Wildfire Service/AFP
Lytton, Canada: Fire and extreme temperatures
The Canadian town of Lytton saw record-breaking heat on July 2 when temperatures hit nearly 50 degrees Celcius. A few days later, the village was all but destroyed in a wildfire. Experts warn that heat domes like those in North America are becoming more likely due to global warming, which has slowed down the jet stream. This is why such extreme conditions tend to sometimes last for weeks.
Image: BC Wildfire Service/AFP
Kevo, Finland: Record heat in northern Europe
It’s been the hottest July since 1914 in Lapland with 33.6 C recorded in northern Finland. Parts of Scandinavia have also been experiencing temperatures that are 10-15 degrees above average. Meteorologists say that the record heat in northern Europe is linked to the heat dome above North America.
Image: Otto Ponto/Lehtikuva/AFP/Getty Images
New Delhi, India: Heat-related deaths and irregular monsoons
India has also been unusually hot this year. At the beginning of July, the capital New Delhi saw temperatures hit 43C, the hottest ever in nine years. The start of the monsoon season has also been delayed by about a week this year. India has seen at least 6,500 heat-related deaths since 2010.
Siberia has also seen sweltering heat this year, with temperatures of over 30C in May, making this region north of the Arctic Circle warmer than many parts of Europe. Drought and high temperatures are also leading to large-scale fires in densely forested Northern Russia. And its permafrost is melting, releasing more and more Co2 and methane into the atmosphere.
Image: Thomas Opel
New Zealand: A warm winter
Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is also unusually warm this year. Hastings, New Zealand saw temperatures rise to 22C last month. It was the warmest June in 110 years, according to the National Meteorological Agency (NIWA). Average temperatures increased by about 2C. Warmer winters pose a problem for agriculture and, of course, ski resorts.
Image: kavram/Zoonar/picture alliance
Mexicali, Mexico: Dramatic drought
At a sizzling 51.4C, Mexico recorded its hottest-ever temperature in June. Mexico is going through its worst drought in 30 years. Baja California is particularly affected and the Colorado River there has partially dried up. Water levels in the reservoirs near Mexico City are also falling.
Image: Fernando Llano/AP/dpa/picture alliance
Ghadames, Libya: Desert heat in North Africa
The Arabian Peninsula and North Africa have also been particularly hot this year. The Sahara Desert saw the mercury rise to 50C last month. Meanwhile, in western Libya, it was 10 degrees warmer than usual at the end of June, according to the National Center for Meterology. In the oasis city of Ghadames, the heat rose to 46C, with the capital Tripoli not far behind at 43C.
Image: DW/Valerie Stocker
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The sweltering heat resulted in wildfires, and pressured power grids across the north western part of the continent.
In the US, Oregon's Bootleg wildfire blazed on, affecting 144,000 acres. Residents of more than 1,000 homes in the state were under mandatory evacuation orders.
In California's Death Valley, which often records the hottest temperatures, visitors had gathered at a large digital thermometer outside Furnace Creek. The thermometer recorded 135 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) the highest number it had ever recorded.
Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced safety measures under the extreme weather conditions.
Trains are can cause wildfires under such temperatures if their spark arresting devices are not well-maintained. Canada is investigating whether a train might have caused the fire that led to the destruction of 90% of the town of Lytton.
The past six years have been the warmest on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization, there was a 40% chance of annual average global temperature temporarily surpassing 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures within the next five years.
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