A record-breaking heatwave across the country last month shows no signs of letting up, with more than 130 million people still under heat warnings and temperatures forecast to be 15 to 30 degrees above normal over the next week.
The extreme heat and humidity could send temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit across the U.S., from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service said temperatures in northeastern California and western Nevada aren’t expected to drop below 100 degrees Fahrenheit until next week, the Associated Press reported.
Heat advisories were in effect for much of the U.S. for most of June, with approximately 270 million people experiencing temperatures above 90 degrees. Record-breaking heat hit much of the I-95 corridor in late June, with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees.
The current heat wave has already scorched much of the West Coast, and one of the hottest places on Earth, Death Valley, California, recorded a new high temperature of 127 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, breaking its own record. The previous record, 122 degrees Fahrenheit, was set in 2013, according to the Associated Press.
By 9 a.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix. The city had recorded a record high temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday.
The worst is yet to come: Temperatures could reach triple digits over the next week, reaching 15 to 30 degrees above average. Baltimore and other parts of Maryland could see temperatures approach 110 degrees this weekend, according to the Associated Press.
Temperatures in Death Valley are expected to reach 129 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday and around 130 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. The NWS also extended a rare heat advisory for the mountains around Lake Tahoe.
Scientists, including the infamous Bill Nye, believe climate change is making heatwaves worse across the country and have warned that scorching summer temperatures may become the “new normal.”
“With all due respect, this is the beginning of a new normal,” Nye said late last month. “The latest research shows that there is no tipping point or turning point or inflection point on this curve. It’s just going to get hotter and hotter and worse and more and more extreme.”
Unless action is taken to mitigate climate change, heatstroke deaths will increase around the world Potential to increase by 370 percentAccording to a survey last year.
As the threat of extreme heat continues to grow, President Biden has proposed a first-in-the-nation standard aimed at protecting workers from extreme heat.
If the proposal is finalized, employers would be required to provide rest breaks, shade and water for workers at risk from extreme heat.
But it’s unclear whether the standard will actually go into effect, as it is unlikely to be finalized before the end of Biden’s first term. Former President Trump is not expected to approve the standard if elected.
according to To the Bureau of Labor Statistics The Biden administration argues the rule will save lives, as 436 workers died from exposure to extreme heat between 2011 and 2020. I was around 34,000 cases of work-related heatstroke.
Currently, there are no federal heat protections for workers.
