Most of the western United States Experiencing record temperatures — reaching a height in October that is usually associated with the hottest days of summer.
Palm Springs, Calif., hit a staggering 117 degrees on Tuesday, setting a new October record for itself and matches the maximum temperature that has ever been recorded in the United States October.
in other places California, ArizonaAnd Wyoming They also experienced some of the warmest October temperatures, with San Jose Reaching a temperature of 106 degrees, Phoenix 113 injury, and Cheyenne reached 85 degrees.
All this is part of a larger trend, with a serious consequence: heat, in and of itself, to be dangerousEspecially the elderly, the very young and those with chronic health concerns. But it can also have cascading effects, from increasing wildfire risk to harvesting crops. And, due to the effects of climate change, the temperatures seen across the western US this week could become much more common.
“Human-caused climate change … is loading the weather dice toward more frequent and intense heat waves,” University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann told Vox.
This is part of a larger trend
This October heat is largely the result of an event currently occurring Known in the West as a “heat dome”. – which involves a high-pressure system trapping heat near the Earth’s surface.
Long-term climate change, however, is likely exacerbating the effects of heat domes. Greenhouse gases that fuel climate change also trap heat, leading to higher temperatures that can make an already hot heat dome even hotter.
According to a Study from the climate nonprofit Climate Center91 million people in the US experienced 30 or more “dangerous heat days” this summer, and climate change has made them twice as likely. The agency defines “dangerous heat” days as “warmer than 90 percent of the temperatures observed in a local area during the period 1991-2020.”
Climate change has led to higher temperatures around the world this past year, with particularly hot summers in states across the United States. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), It was the nation’s fourth-warmest summer on record, when looking at temperatures from June to August 2024. During those months, the average temperature in the contiguous United States was 73.8 degrees Fahrenheit — 2.5 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.
It was noticeable in several places, including Phoenixwhich has experienced consecutive 100-degree or higher heat this year Globally, the world can also be tracked hit its hottest year on record.
In addition to getting warmer, summers are getting longer, Drexel University researchers noted in seasonal temperatures Lasts more than 30 days October means better for some in the Northern Hemisphere, than they have in the past.
That means fall doesn’t bring the same relief from the heat it once did. As of September Climate is central The report, which looked at 242 U.S. cities, predicted an average temperature rise of 2.5 degrees between 1970 and 2023.
Warm fall days can have big implications for natural disasters, especially wildfires in places like Southern California, where the heat increases the risk of potential wildfires in drier landscapes that have seen decades. fire suppression. Although the wildfire season typically lasts from early summer to fall, It is likely to go long As high temperatures persist.
More days with high temperatures can also translate into an increase in heat stroke, cardiovascular problems due to stress on the heart, and respiratory problems. People can also expand the window when they experience seasonal allergies.
Additionally, warmer temperatures can affect plants and animals’ preparation for hibernation, drastically reducing and delaying the time it normally takes to prepare for winter. Processes like leaf change and leaf fall. Farmers may increasingly need to relocate Planting and harvesting schedule for various crops Also the temperature keeps fluctuating.
Short of major changes needed to curb human contributions to global warming, this year’s October heat waves are unlikely to be a fluke. As Mann told Vox, “Warming will continue until we get carbon emissions to zero.”
