Northwestern U.S. and Canada Shatter Heat Records

Global warming causes temperature extremes. We’ve seen colder than normal spells in winters here in the U.S. East Coast, and hotter than normal summers. That’s how global warming affects the planet. In the last weekend of June, residents of the Northwestern United States, and southwestern Canada broke record high temperatures with scorching heat in the 110s Fahrenheit! In today’s blog you’ll read about the Pacific Northwest, and southwestern Canada (courtesy of a BBC News article) and how an Omega Block made it happen.

(Image: What an "Omega Block" looks like in the jet stream, that brought record heat to the Pacific Northwest. Credit: CBS News) 

WHAT IS AN “OMEGA BLOCK”? – It’s an area of dangerously hot air in the shape of the Greek Letter “Omega.” In this case, the jet stream has trapped a ridge of high pressure (that's the heat dome) over the Pacific Northwest, creating a block in the atmosphere that prevents the weather system from moving on.

RECORDS SHATTER IN U.S. PACIFIC NORTHWEST - Before the weekend of June 26-27, the record high for the city of Seattle, Washington was 107 degrees in 1981. Seattle reached 108 degrees Monday, June 28, beating its prior record of 104 degrees reached Saturday – its all time record high temperature, ever!   Portland, Oregon recorded its all-time high temperature of 116, setting new record for third day in a row. Portland hit 116 degrees Monday afternoon, June 28, 2021, setting a new record high temperature for the third day in a row, according to the National Weather Service.

 Canada weather: Dozens dead as heatwave shatters records

 BBC NEWS June 30, 2021  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57654133

 Dozens of people have died in Canada amid an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed temperature records. Police in the Vancouver area have responded to more than 130 sudden deaths since Friday. Most were elderly or had underlying health conditions, with heat often a contributing factor.

 Canada broke its temperature record for a third straight day on Tuesday - 49.6C (121.3F) in Lytton, British Columbia.

 The U.S. Pacific Northwest has also seen record highs - and a number of fatalities.

 Experts say climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. However, linking any single event to global warming is complicated.

 

(Image: Record high temperatures in the western and Eastern U.S. the weekend of June 27-28. Credit: CNN) 

WHAT CAUSED IT?

The heat over western parts of Canada and the US has been caused by a dome of static high-pressure hot air stretching from California to the Arctic territories. Temperatures have been easing in coastal areas but there is not much respite for inland regions.

WHAT WAS THE PREVIOUS HIGH?  Before Sunday, temperatures in Canada had never passed 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) .

MANY HEAT DEATHS IN VANCOUVER - In Vancouver alone, heat is believed to have been a contributing factor in the unexpected deaths of 65 people since Friday, June 25. "I've been a police officer for 15 years and I've never experienced the volume of sudden deaths that have come in in such a short period of time," police sergeant Steve Addison said. Three or four a day is the normal number.

FINDING THE DEAD IN HOUSES -  He said people were arriving at relatives' homes and "finding them deceased".  British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said 100 more deaths than normal had been reported in the period from Friday to Monday.

NORTHEAST OF SEATTLE, TINY CANADIAN TOWN SHATTERED HEAT RECORDS -  The tiny village of Lytton, about 155 miles (250 km) east of Vancouver - and not much further south than London - has recorded all of Canada's recent record highs.  Canada temperature reaches record 49.6C.

NO AIR CONDITIONING - Many homes in British Columbia do not have air conditioning as temperatures are usually far milder during the summer months.

HEAT WARNINGS - The country's weather service, Environment Canada, has issued heat warnings for the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, along with areas of Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba.