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Relentless heat bakes several parts of the planet

Roni and John pour water on themselves to cool off from extreme heat while residing in "The Zone," a vast homeless encampment where hundreds of people reside, during a record heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Roni and John pour water on themselves to cool off from extreme heat while residing in "The Zone," a vast homeless encampment where hundreds of people reside, during a record heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Scorching temperatures have put millions of Americans in danger this summer with heat extremes stretching from one end of the country to the other.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says more than 5,000 heat records have been broken or tied in the country over the last 30 days. And now the heatwave that’s baked the Southwest is spreading to the Midwest and Northeast.

Several countries in Europe are alsoin the midst ofheatwaves. Greece, Spain,Italyand France have all seen blistering temperatures and several heat records broken.

Is this an anomaly or just the way that summer will look now?

Astudyreleased thisweek from theWorld Weather Attribution network,acoalition ofinternationalscientists,said the protracted heat waves are “virtually impossible” without climate change. 

We look at how climate change is affecting temperatures across the U.S. and ask what type of relief mitigation efforts might provide.

 

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Maya Garg
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