A week of triple-digit temperatures made worse by climate change is forecast across much of the American West this week, with records poised to fall in several towns, cities and states across the drought-plagued region.
Scorching summer heat waves, which climate scientists warn will become become more commonplace in the coming decades, result in increased health risks. A study released in May found that more than one-third of the world’s heat deaths are now directly attributable to global warming.
On Monday, 43 million people found themselves under heat alerts in the U.S.
The National Weather Service warned that the record-high temperature of 117 degrees in Las Vegas was in danger of being broken. It’s not just the United States that is baking. Temperatures topped a record 125 degrees in the Middle East last week, with five countries seeing temperatures exceed 122 degrees.
