On Thursday, a new scientific result was published, and according to it, the country’s current heat wave is caused by worsening climate change.
Unfortunately, the US is not the only country dealing with the phenomenon. About 125 people in Mexico have already succumbed to the heat, and scientists claim it will remain dominant in several parts of North America, breaking weather records.
The Heat Wave Started in May
According to the study, the heat wave started in early May and is still active this month. It has spread to the central and eastern parts of the United States but according to the experts, it won’t stop there and will keep spreading. As it stands, some states have recorded temperatures so extreme that health agencies had to put out a warning, begging members of the public to be cautious when they go outside.
Climate Change: A Merciless Culprit
Scientists who participated in the study that analyzed the ongoing heat wave claim that climate change is causing the country’s extreme heat wave. They blame human-caused climate change and say it has increased the possibility of the heat wave happening by at least 35 times.
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The Future Is Hot
The study also claims that as climate change continues, deadly heat waves, still an issue in some parts of the country, will become a more frequently occurring phenomenon throughout the country. According to the study’s co-author, Izidine Pinto, this is not just applicable to the US; other places, including Mexico, will feel the brunt in the future.
What Is a Heat Dome?
A heat dome is created when hot air is trapped near the ground and further heated by the sun. This leads to pockets of high heat pressure lingering in some places, forming some sort of dome. Such a heat dome took at least 125 lives in Mexico earlier this year and has now traveled to the United States, where it now resides, waiting for careless individuals.
Crimes of the Dome
The heat dome explained above has been found guilty of the record-breaking temperatures observed in various nations this year. Heat domes are known to intensify heat waves, and the past couple of weeks have seen daytime and nighttime temperatures break preexisting records in several countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and the southwestern US.
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A Deadly Change
Scientists who took part in the recent study say that heat waves are gradually becoming more deadly and are occurring at an increased frequency. Two decades ago, such heat waves occurred rarely, but in present times, they are likely to happen one in four times. This, they say, is all thanks to climate change, and as it continues to affect the weather, more heat waves are expected to happen all over the US.
Heat Waves Around the World
The study focused mainly on the heat wave dominating the US and Mexico. It comes at a time when many countries are dealing with record-breaking temperatures intensified by heat waves. Current data states that this year’s May was the hottest one ever recorded globally. That makes it the 12th month in a row where a hottest month record was broken.
Accompanying Weather Disasters
As the country struggles with the rising temperatures, the past couple of days and weeks have also seen Americans deal with other weather disasters. Last week, South Florida endured harsh rainstorms that caused flooding in much of Miami. Scientists have blamed it on climate change because hot weather is a recipe for harder rainfalls.
A Looming Tropical Storm
Amid all this, Texas is getting ready to face the first tropical storm of the season. The state has not been able to catch a break, as its southern regions are still dealing with the excessive heat wave. Already, the state Governor, Greg Abbott, has issued a disaster declaration, as the tropical storm is expected to hit the south of Texas.
A Tragic Pilgrimage
Different parts of the world are dealing with extreme heat waves. One example is Saudi Arabia, where extreme heat during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage took more than 1,000 lives. The death toll has increased within a few days, leaving experts worried it may keep rising as people struggle to deal with the excessive temperatures.
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What It All Means
The study’s results have been interpreted by the scientists involved as a warning. They say that the current heat wave is only a prelude, and extreme temperatures may become the new normal all over the world. They have attributed this to emissions from the burning of fossil fuels that continue worldwide. So unless something is done, and fast, there is danger in the future, and all should be worried.
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