WASHINGTON: While a significant fire devastated a portion of California, tens of millions of Americans already sizzling in a sweltering heatwave braced for record-breaking temperatures to rise on Saturday.
The worst of the country’s high heat is predicted to hit the central and northeastern regions on Sunday at the earliest, which has public health officials scurrying.
More than a dozen states are under a heat advisory, and for at least the next five days, central US metropolises like Dallas and Oklahoma City are anticipated to experience highs of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (over 38 degrees Celsius).
Cities all along the northeast coast, from Boston to Philadelphia to Washington, are currently under a heat emergency.Even the normally cool Pacific Northwest won’t be able to avoid the intense heat next week, as the area is predicted to have multiple days in the 90s.
The issue of global warming is being highlighted by the high temperatures, which have already increased the number of emergency calls for heat-related illness.
In the interim, cities have been compelled to establish cooling centres and expand outreach to vulnerable populations including the homeless and those without access to air conditioning.
“Heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States, which is something we in Oklahoma fully recognise. According to Joseph Kralicek, head of the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency, “it much exceeds any other” natural disaster-related cause of mortality.
