All signs point to this summer being one of the hottest on record, as a heatwave hits the Northern Hemisphere. Large parts of the United States are suffering from oppressive conditions that show no signs of abating, accompanied by a growing death toll.
Phoenix, one of the hottest cities in America, has never been this hot this long. Many other places around the country are seeing record highs, whether when the sun rises during the day or when it dips below the horizon at night.
Here's what the numbers tell us about heat and how it affects Americans:
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About 40 million people — or 11% of the U.S. population — live in areas expected to endure dangerous levels of heat on Monday, according to a New York Times analysis of forecasts and population data released by the U.S. government.
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In Phoenix, Sunday was the 24th straight day with high temperatures 110 degrees or higher. Until this year, the longest streak of 110 days was 18 days, a record set in 1974. And the nights in Phoenix aren't much better than the days: Low temperatures haven't dipped below 90 degrees for 14 straight days — a record Also standard.
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At least 18 people in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, have died of “heat-related” causes since April, according to a report released by public health officials last week. Sixty-nine other deaths are being investigated. Heat deaths have been rising steadily in the province since 2014, increasing by 25 percent from 2021 to 2022.
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Two hikers were found dead at Valley of Fire State Park in Clark County, Nevada, over the weekend. Their cause of death has not been confirmed, but temperatures in the park rose to triple digits. Seven people have died from heat in the province since April, according to a report published earlier this month.
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The deaths in Valley of Fire come after a 71-year-old man died while hiking last week in Death Valley National Park in California. Park officials said temperatures rose to 121 degrees that afternoon. This is the second heat-related death in Death Valley this month, officials said. A 65-year-old man died of apparent refractory illness on July 3.
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The National Weather Service in Las Vegas said on Sunday that temperatures in the city reached or exceeded 110 degrees Celsius. 10 consecutive days, bind a record. The maximum temperature in Las Vegas on Saturday was 115 degrees. Breaking the record for this date It was set in 1937 at 114 degrees.
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On Sunday, El Paso saw temperatures rise for the 38th straight day to 100 degrees or higher. “This breaks the previous record and shows no signs of ending anytime soon,” the National Weather Service in El Paso said. chirp.
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Farther east, the daily high was recorded at Florida Keys Marathon International Airport at 97 degrees On Sunday, breaking the record for the highest temperature on July 23. The heat index is expected to reach 112 degrees on Monday.
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Record temperatures were also set Sunday at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport, according to the center National Weather Service. An extreme heat warning was in effect for Miami-Dade County on Monday, and a heat warning was in effect for the rest of South Florida.
John Keefe Contributed to reports.
