The suffocating heat wave that killed hundreds of people across the Pacific Northwest last week would have been 'virtually impossible' without climate change, a study finds.
An aerial view shows low water levels at Lake Oroville, which is the second largest reservoir in California and according to daily reports of the state's Department of Water Resources is near 35% capacity, near Oroville, California June 16, 2021. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciJuly 7 - The suffocating heat wave that killed hundreds of people across the Pacific Northwest last week would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, a study finds.
"Heat waves are really changing so much more and so much faster than all other extreme events," Otto said. "Heat preparation and preventing death during heat waves need to be a No. 1 priority for every city authority.". Power lines melted in the heat. Roads buckled. Canada thrice broke its national temperature record, peaking on June 29 at 121 Fahrenheit -- a full 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the previous record set in 1937.
The June heat wave, however, was far beyond the norm for the Pacific Northwest. For that, the authors suggested two possible explanations: Either many factors came together to produce a very rare event that was worsened by climate change, or climate change has altered the atmospheric conditions so that this type of heat wave is now more common than previously understood.
While the weather was unusual in its timing -- record-breaking temperatures are rare so early in the summer season -- last month proved to be the warmest June on record for North America, and the fourth warmest globally, scientists at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported Wednesday.