Searing heat wave grips large parts of the US and causes deaths in the West

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By TY O’NEIL, CLAIRE RUSH and ANITA SNOW
Updated 6:46 PM CDT, July 8, 2024

DEATH VALLEY, California (AP) — A searing heat wave gripped large parts of the United States on Monday, with record daily high temperatures in Oregon suspected to have caused four deaths in the Portland area following a motorcyclist’s death in dangerous heat over the weekend in Death Valley, California.

More than 146 million people around the U.S. were under heat alerts Monday, especially in the western states. California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Idaho on Monday were under an excessive heat warning, the National Weather Service’s highest alert, while parts of the East Coast as well as Alabama and Mississippi were under heat advisories.

The global temperature in June was record warm for the 13th straight month and marked the 12th straight month that the world was 1.5 C (2.7 F) warmer than pre-industrial times, the European climate service Copernicus said.

Dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tied or broke previous heat records over the weekend and are expected to keep doing so into the week.

Video: https://apnews.com/video/oklahoma-city-oklahoma-heat-waves-weather-national-d7fc4dc4bf1545979411bd3f78b8df6e


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/heat-wave-dangerous-high-temperatures-records-3a906d7045cf7eb04604aefec70cda16

[BOSSHOG]

1. Brought to us by THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION

[Archae]

2. It's not that hot here in Wisconsin...

Had a high of 70 today.

But it's the humidity.

70+ %.

Yuck.

[Warpy]

3. NM has been lucky

The monsoons started 3 weeks early and we've had both rain and cloud cover mosderating the temperatures. We've also had flooding in some areas, especially around burn scars.

I can't imagine crpsssomg Deatj Valley in 130F heat on a motorcycle. Rotten way to go. Probably didn't feel it until it was way too late.

[catchnrelease]

4. I don't get it

Why do people have the fascination to go to/be in Death Valley when the temps are soaring? To risk death just to be there for a special event? I have to assume they don't realize just how HOT it actually is. I have found DV to be a common destination choice for many Europeans.

Back in 1990 a friend from the UK was going to visit me (in SoCal) in June. I told her to make a list of places she'd like to see or visit around Calif while she was here, and I'd take her to as many as I could. One of her choices was to go to Death Valley. It would have been late June. I agreed to everything else, but said sorry, no way we're going to DV in Summer. (And I was driving a Honda CRX at that time, so not sure it could have even made it to and from in that heat.)

She was disappointed but I took her to the Grand Canyon instead, so she was pretty impressed after all.

[usonian]

5. Probably the same reason why people take selfies at Glacier Point in Yosemite and "could you step back just a bit"?

My mom used to visit from the east coast and we'd visit places like Napa Valley, Carmel by the Sea, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and many others. Death Valley was not on the list. I was a happy tour guide!

I drove with my CA family from Las Vegas to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Got great photos.

The latter trip was real short because a surprise snowstorm came up, nobody had snow tires, and cars were on the side of the road turned turtle.

Got a few photos and drove back. Very, very carefully.