Heatwave in US Northwest & Canada breaks record temperature; dozens die due to severe heat

Temperatures on Sunday soared to an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 Celcius) in Oregon's largest city, breaking the all-time temperature record of 108 Fahrenheit (42.2 Celcius), which was set on Saturday. The National Weather Service has said that this historic heatwave in US Northwest and the entire Pacific Northwest has now pushed the daytime temperature into triple digits, disrupting Olympic qualifying events in places unaccustomed to such extreme heat. 

Heatwave in US Northwest & entire Pacific Northwest breaks all records

Informing that the US track and field trials in Eugene and Oregon were halted on Sunday afternoon and fans were asked to evacuate the stadium due to extreme heat, the National Weather Service (NWS) said that Oregon's capital, Salem also recorded the highest temperature in its history, breaking the old mark by 4 degrees. 

NWS said, "The temperature hit 104 F (40 C) in Seattle. This was an all-time record for the city better known for rain than heat and for the first time the area recorded two consecutive triple-digit days since records began being kept in 1894."

The heatwave in Seattle on Sunday got so severe that the city parks department closed a community pool in the southern portion of the city because of "unsafe, dangerous pool deck temperatures." The Seattle Times reported that King County also closed several COVID-19 testing sites because of the heat. Seattle opened additional public library branches Sunday, and will again Monday, to provide additional cooling centres, it added. 

Record-breaking heatwave in Canada, US causes deaths

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

Meanwhile, Sound Transit on Sunday had said that Seattle's light rail trains may have to operate at reduced speeds because o excessive heat on the tracks, causing delays that could continue into the work week. The weather forecasters further said that the heatwave also moved into Idaho, where temperatures above 100 F (38 C) are forecast in Boise for at least seven days starting Monday. Ontario, Oregon — a city near the Idaho border — could see at least a week of triple-digit temperatures, including a high of 109 F (42.8 C).

There were also some power outages. Portland General Electric said about 3,000 customers were without electricity in the greater Portland area Sunday afternoon. Puget Sound Energy reported 3,400 customers down in the greater Seattle area. The heatwave stretched into British Columbia, with the temperature in Lytton, a village in the Canadian province, reaching 115 F (46.1 C), marking a new all-time high recorded in Canada.

A heat warning is in effect for most of Western Canada and the country’s weather agency says that numerous daily temperature records have been shattered across British Columbia, which is directly north of Washington state. City authorities were reminding residents where pools, splash pads, and cooling centers were available and urging people to stay hydrated, check on their neighbors and avoid strenuous activities. The National Weather Service in Coeur d’Alene said this week’s weather “Will likely be one of the most extreme and prolonged heat waves in the recorded history of the Inland Northwest.”

The scorching weather was caused by an extended “heat dome” parked over the Pacific Northwest. Kristie Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington who studies global warming and its effects on public health, says the days-long heatwave was a taste of the future as climate change reshapes global weather patterns. The high temperatures were forecast to move into western Montana beginning Monday.

(Image: AP)