In some of the most agriculturally rich regions in the U.S., researchers from San Diego State University are working to understand how climate change is impacting heat in rural areas and the farmworkers who toil in them. They're putting sensors on workers to measure their heart rates and core body temperatures while they work and evaluating environmental temperatures to assess occupational heat risk. Rising temperatures, decreased water supplies and shifting crop patterns are changing microclimates and increasing exposure to extreme heat for farmworkers, who are already among the most vulnerable to it. The project aims to map rural heat islands to better protect California farmworkers from scorching heat.
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Millions of Americans are facing record heat with temperatures frequently over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat often impacts people of color and low-income residents the most. Mortality records from cities across the country have shown that heat kills along socioeconomic and racial lines. Experts say planting more trees and creating green spaces can help. In Phoenix, efforts are underway to grow the tree canopy. In New York, laws are being passed to increase the tree cover over the next decade. And in Texas, the Houston transit authority is working to redesign bus stops to provide relief from the heat.
A dangerous heat wave has descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with triple-digit temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires. Officials opened cooling centers this week in Los Angeles and warned residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state firefighting resources deployed in areas where blazes could ignite. The peak of the heat wave will hit Arizona on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures there could possibly reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the southern and western parts of the state.
A heat wave has gripped parts of Europe, with temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius in southern France. This extreme heat has increased the risk of wildfires, particularly in regions like Hungary and Bulgaria. Fires also caused fresh evacuations in Turkey's northwest. On Monday, France placed 12 departments on red alert, its highest heat warning. Social media images showed empty streets and residents trying to stay cool. The heat wave, France's second this summer, started Friday and is expected to last all week. Other European countries, including Hungary and the U.K., are also experiencing record-breaking temperatures and issuing warnings.
Rising temperatures pose new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that has injured four people as it has become the biggest blaze in the state so far this year. More than 870 remote homes and other structures at the northern edge of Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew only slightly overnight after burning out of control for days. The fire has scorched at least 131 square miles of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with just 9% containment on Wednesday.
A heat wave covered much of Europe on Monday, with record-hot first day of play at Wimbledon and forest fires in Turkey and France. Heat warnings were issued for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the U.K. New highs are expected on Wednesday before rain should bring respite to some areas. The United Nations secretary-general called for action to fight climate change, saying "the planet is getting hotter and more dangerous." At the Berlin zoo, elephants were showered with water and bears treated with blocks of ice containing fruit.
Weather forecasters are predicting wild temperature swings across the eastern U.S. Wednesday was expected to be another scorcher before temperatures plunge as much as 30 degrees. On Tuesday, at least 50 heat records were broken and 21 places hit triple-digit temperatures. About 127 million Americans are under some kind of National Weather Service heat advisory, down from more than 150 million Tuesday. The sizzling temperatures sent utilities scrambling to keep the air conditioning and lights on because of the massive power demand.
The temperature in New York City has reached 100 degrees as the eastern U.S. sweltered under an extreme heat wave. According to the National Weather Service, Kennedy International Airport recorded 100 degrees Fahrenheit at midday Tuesday. Large swaths of the country were broiling under a heat dome, worsened by a humid atmosphere that's circling the East. After nearly 40 US cities broke record high marks Monday, the weather service expected dozens of records Tuesday when the heat dome should hit its peak.
Summer will make a dramatic entrance in the U.S. this week with a heat dome that will bring stifling heat and uncomfortable humidity to millions. The heat will be particularly worrisome this weekend across wide stretches of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, where forecasters are warning of extreme temperature impacts. This will be the first stretch of true summertime weather for many from Midwest to the East Coast, according to meteorologist Tom Kines of AccuWeather. The soupy conditions will stretch into next week and the humid conditions will make it feel extra toasty.
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The Bay Area will endure the season's first miniheat wave at the end of this week, with temperatures topping 100 degrees in some inland areas,…
