1/5/2024 0 Comments Heat wave pacific northwestThe ground - soil, sand, concrete, and asphalt - then bakes in the sunlight, and in the long days and short nights of summer, heat energy quickly accumulates and temperatures rise. The high-pressure system also pushes out cooler, fast-moving air currents and squeezes clouds away, which gives the sun an unobstructed line of sight to the ground. The sinking air acts as a cap or heat dome, trapping the latent heat already absorbed by the landscape. That creates a sinking column of air that compresses, heats up, and oftentimes dries out. Heat waves begin with a high-pressure system (also known as an anticyclone), where atmospheric pressure above an area builds up. The impact of this additional exposure to solar radiation is cumulative, which is why temperatures generally peak weeks after the longest day of the year.Īmid the general increase in temperatures in the summer, meteorology can push those numbers to extremes. Sign up to receive our newsletter each Friday.ĭuring the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the northern half of the planet is tilted toward the sun, which increases daylight hours and warms the hemisphere. Vox’s German Lopez is here to guide you through the Biden administration’s burst of policymaking. So the threshold for a heat wave in Tucson is higher than the threshold in Seattle. What counts as a heat wave is typically defined relative to local weather conditions, with sustained temperatures in the 90th to 95th percentile of the average in a given area. Heat waves, explainedĮxtreme heat might not seem as dramatic as hurricanes or floods, but the National Weather Service has deemed it the deadliest weather phenomenon in the US over the past 30 years, on average. Even more worrying is that in the context of the hot century ahead, 2021 may go down in history as a relatively cool year. They’re a deadly public health threat that can exacerbate inequality, cause infrastructure to collapse, and amplify other problems of global warming. The forces behind them are complex and changing. There’s more to heat waves like this than high temperatures. Scientists say these record highs align with their expectations for climate change, and warn that more scorchers are coming. This follows weeks of extremely high temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere and an early-season heat wave in North America that triggered heat warnings for 50 million people. ![]() It’s especially concerning in a region like the Pacific Northwest, where few buildings have air conditioners. ![]() The searing heat has buckled roads, melted power cables, and led to a spike in deaths. Portland reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit this week. The Pacific Northwest is sweltering under a record-breaking heat wave.
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