Southwestern US Raises Alert Over Dangerous Heatwave

Southwestern US Raises Alert Over Dangerous Heatwave
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A large envelope of the southwestern United States was placed on red alert on Friday morning for a potentially deadly heatwave that could push temperatures as high as 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) over the coming days.

Millions of people in California, Nevada, and Arizona have now been warned to expect dangerous conditions for at least some of the weekend, with the National Weather Service advising residents to stay out of the sun.

While the region was usually heated up at this time of year, forecasters warned it would be considerably hotter than the average.

Africa Daily News, New York reports that inland and desert areas of California would be particularly hot on Friday and Saturday, with the tourist city of Palm Springs expected to hit 45 degrees, while nearby Ocotillo Wells could reach 47 degrees.

Read Also: Turkey, Greece Reel From Raging Wildfires During Heatwave

‘We’ve had some prior heat waves this year, but not as intense as this one or as long duration,’ San Diego weather service meteorologist, Alex Tardy, said.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can be exceedingly dangerous for humans.

The World Health Organisation says excessive heat stresses the body, and increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

‘Heatwaves can acutely impact large populations for short periods of time, often trigger public health emergencies, and result in excess mortality, and cascading socioeconomic impacts,’ the WHO revealed on its website.

Africa Daily News, New York reports that Heatwaves and temperature variations are a natural part of the climate, but scientists say human-caused global warming is creating a greater number of extreme events, sometimes with devastating consequences.

In June last year a “heat dome” sat over the western United States and Canada.

The intense temperatures and worst-in-a-millennium drought gripping the region led to numerous fires.

In the village of Lytton, North-East of Vancouver, temperatures reached 49.6 degrees in the days before a destructive fire swept through.

California, along with much of the American West, was on high alert for wildfires.

Years of below-average rainfall had left huge tracts of countryside tinder-dry, and almost the entire state was classed as suffering from severe drought or worse.

Africa Daily News, New York

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