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A massive heat dome has parked over the central and eastern United States, subjecting more than 200 million Americans to dangerous temperatures and humidity levels. Heat indices are approaching 115°F in major metropolitan corridors from the Midwest to the East Coast. The National Weather Service has issued widespread warnings as the extreme heat is expected to persist into mid-July.
A historic heat dome has parked over the central and eastern United States, trapping more than 200 million Americans in extreme heat during the July 4 holiday weekend. Scientists say the conditions would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, with heat indexes approaching 115°F in some areas. The heat wave disrupted America's 250th birthday celebrations across the country as officials opened cooling centers and urged residents to stay indoors.
Europe is enduring its most severe and widespread heatwave on record, with temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F) in parts of Spain. Wildfires are raging across southern France and Spain, forcing evacuations and deployment of over 2,000 firefighters. Scientists from World Weather Attribution confirmed the heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, finding it is now 200 times more likely than 20 years ago. The EU is mobilizing its largest-ever wildfire response force.
At least 3,700 excess deaths have been reported during the ongoing European heatwave in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, according to Reuters. France alone recorded 2,025 excess deaths at the peak of the heatwave. Forecasters warn of further extreme temperatures. In the United States, more than 165 million people are enduring dangerous heat and humidity as the Fourth of July holiday begins. Climate scientists say the sweltering conditions affecting the World Cup are linked to climate change.
A punishing heatwave is gripping Europe and the US, with scientists calling it Europe's 'most severe' June heatwave ever tracked. The World Weather Attribution group says the extreme temperatures would have been 'virtually impossible' 50 years ago. July 4th could be the hottest ever in parts of the US.
Floods in Ivory Coast have killed 59 people, government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly announced after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, as torrential rains continued to batter the West African nation. The flooding, which has been occurring since the rainy season began in May, has submerged entire neighborhoods in the economic capital Abidjan and other regions. Neighboring Ghana has also been severely affected, with at least 12 confirmed dead in Accra and Tema, where emergency workers continue pulling stranded residents from submerged buildings.
Three firefighters were killed and two seriously burned in western Colorado as powerful southwest winds drove explosive wildfire growth across the western United States in late June. The Snyder Fire in Colorado claimed the lives of the firefighters as the blaze expanded rapidly. In Utah, the human-caused Cottonwood Fire exploded to 59,000 acres. Meteorologists had issued increasingly dire warnings about fire conditions as a heatwave and strong winds combined to create extreme fire behavior across the region.
A coalition of health and environmental groups sued the EPA on Wednesday over its repeal of the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding, the scientific basis for all US climate regulations. The lawsuit, filed in the DC Circuit, argues the repeal violates the Clean Air Act and ignores overwhelming scientific evidence that CO2 emissions threaten public health.
A rapid attribution study found that the extreme heatwave scorching Europe — which smashed temperature records in Germany, the UK, France, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic — was made 'virtually impossible' by natural climate variability alone. The UK recorded 36.9°C, breaking its June record for the third day in a row, while France reported over 1,000 excess deaths.
Germany recorded its highest temperature ever on Friday — 41.3°C (106.3°F) in Saarbrücken — as a deadly heatwave sweeping across Western Europe moves east into Poland and the Czech Republic. France reported the heaviest toll with dozens of deaths, including drownings as people sought relief in waterways. The UK recorded its hottest June day for the fourth time this month. Swiss glaciers face massive ice loss from extreme temperatures.