June 20, 2024: US heat wave news | CNN (2024)

Some Texas communities saw nearly three times their June average for rainfall over 48 hours from Tropical Storm Alberto this week, according to the National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi.

The Gulf Coast-area city of Rockport, Texas, received 9.97 inches of rain from the storm, and its Juneaverage is 3.66 inches, according to the office. Alice, Texas, situated west of Corpus Christi, received 6.57 inches of rain – nearly triple its June average of 2.32 inches.

Some other notable rainfall totals in Texas, according to the weather service in Corpus Christi:

• Fulton: 8.30 inches

• Woodsboro: 7.46 inches

• Sinton: 7.00 inches

• Kingsville: 5.37 inches

• Corpus Christi: 5.09 inches

South Texas will continue to see scattered thunderstorms Friday, but rainfall totals from now through Friday evening should be below 1 inch, according to the weather service. The area still faces a flooding threat Friday because of heavy rain from the past two days.

Coastal flood alerts are in effect through coastal Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi because of high water levels along the coastlines from strong winds.

“With acontinued long period swell overnight into Friday morning aswell as slightly higher predicted tides, water levels abovenormal conditions should once again range from 2.5 to 2.75 feet,” the weather service office for Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley said Thursday.

Dangerously hot temperatures are scorching the Midwest and Northeast, the result of a record-breaking heat wave. Scientists have warned that heat waves will becomemore frequent and more severe as the climate crisis intensifies.

In the West, wildfires in New Mexico have killed at least two and unleashed a torrent of flash flooding. In California, the Post Fire north of Los Angeles, has grown to more than 15,000 acres in size and has forced the evacuation of hundreds of people.

Tropical depression Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic season, made landfall in Mexico on Thursday. The storm has brought heavy rain and flood threats to parts of the country.

Government employees remove a fallen tree from the roadway as tropical storm Alberto hits, in Monterrey, Mexico on June 20.

The Santa Catarina river, as tropical storm Alberto hits Monterrey, Mexico on June 20.

People buy fans in Chinatown during a heatwave affecting New York City on June 20.

A man is attended to after fainting in the heat outside the Supreme Court in Washington, DC on June 20.

Eddie Hogan wipes sweat from his head, while he works out outdoors during a heat wave in New York City on June 20.

A bird flies past a palm tree standing in front of the downtown Los Angeles, California skyline obscured by haze following a wildfire north of the city on June 20.

Bobby Smith, the property manager of the River Ranch RV Park, empties water out of a guitar after the property was damaged from a flash flood in the aftermath of the fires in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico, on June 20.

Several daily temperature records were set in New England today.

Manchester, New Hampshire, reached 99 degrees Fahrenheit, setting a daily record and coming up just one degree shy of its June record.It was the third consecutive day in which the city set a record.Each day was 97 degrees or higher and the normal high for the date is just 80 degrees.

Other daily records tied or broken on Thursday include:

Northern New England will finally get a break Friday as temperatures across much of northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine will top out in the 70s and low 80s.

Only a few scattered daily temperature records are expected in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic Friday, but temperatures will remain 10 to 15 degrees above normal, reaching the low to mid-90s.

The heat continues to increase and expand southward over the weekend with widespread upper 90s and even triple digits possible around Washington, DC.If the nation’s capital reaches the century mark, it will be the first time since August 2016.

Structures that were destroyed in the Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, are photographed on June 19.

FBI special agents have joined the investigation into the cause of wildfires in New Mexico that claimed at least two lives and destroyed over a thousand structures, the agency said Thursday.

Commuters wait for an Amtrak train Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, in New York, on June 18.

Amtrak said power has been restored and rail service has resumed between Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut, after portions of the rail service were suspended due to power issues and a brush fire.

New Jersey Transit’s rail service has also resumed in and out of New York’s Penn Station, with delays of up to 90 minutes, the transit company said in a statement.

Josh Winston was on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional 85 train from Boston to Virginia when the power suddenly went out and the train came to a stop around 2 p.m. ET.

The 24-year-old said the train got stuck roughly 20 minutes outside Penn Station, where it would stay until around 4 p.m. ET.

Portions of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit rail service were suspended due to power issues and a brush fire in the Secaucus, NJ area, transit officials said.The suspension comes as a heat wave is scorching parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

Winston said when the power went out, so did the air conditioning.

“Everybody was pretty sweaty. I think, you know, it got quite hot — probably over 90 degrees by the time we were finally moving again. I was dripping quite a bit of sweat, unfortunately,” he told CNN.

Though the train was headed to Virginia, his plan was always to get off at Penn Station. The train was suspended after they reached New York, so everyone had to get off there, he said.

Washington, DC’s metro rail system has implemented speed restrictions due to extreme heat Thursday afternoon.

Extreme heat can expand the rails the trains run on, WMATA said.

Saturday is set to be the first 100-degree day in DC since August 2016 and the first 100-degree day in June since 2012, according to CNN Weather.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, North America’s largest public transportation agency, said earlier this week it is reducing the speeds of some New York trains during the prolonged heat.

##Heat Wave##

As a heat wave bakes the Northeast, portions of the Amtrak and New Jersey Transit rail services have been suspended during rush hour due to power issues and a brush fire, transit officials said.

The Amtrak service is disrupted between Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut, a spokesperson said.

NJ Transitposted on social media that “rail service is suspended into and out of Penn Station New York due to AMTRAK overhead wire issues in Penn Station New York. Midtown Direct trains are being diverted to Hoboken.”

Passenger Josh Winston, 24, told CNN his train was delayed for 2 hours and a diesel train was forced to tow it into Penn Station.

While the brush fire is out, NJ Transit called it “significant” in asocial media post, noting it was impacting wire repairs.

The suspensions come as a massive heat wave is scorching parts of the Midwest and Northeast, where record-breaking high temperatures are forecast across dozens of cities.

##Heat Wave##

People walk along Brooklyn Bridge Park on June 19 in New York City.

New York City could experience 90-degree temperatures or higher for each of the next seven days. If this occurs over the next week, it would tie the longest stretch in a decade and would be the longest stretch ever in June.

The forecast of 94 degrees for Central Park on Friday would mark the highest temperature there since July 2022.

The heat index in New York City will be up to and even exceeding 100 degrees Friday. Meanwhile, much of the area will be under heat advisory beginning Friday afternoon except Long Island and parts of the city nearest the water.

Air quality alerts for ground level ozone are in effect until 11 p.m. ET Thursday, furthering health dangers from the heat.

An airtanker drops fire retardant over the Salt fire as it nears the town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, on June 19.

President Joe Biden is “closely monitoring” wildfires in New Mexico, the White House said Thursday.

The administration has also approved an expedited major disaster declaration from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, “unlocking further federal support and FEMA assistance to the impacted communities.”

The official said more than 800 federal personnel are helping fight the fires and the US Forest Service is leading the operation.

Large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast are forecasted to have air quality “unhealthy for sensitive groups” Thursday and into Friday, according to data fromAirNow.gov.

Parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have forecasted AQI index values of 101 to 150 on Thursday, meaning members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.

Some context: Heat worsens ozone and other types of air pollution, deteriorating air quality on hot days. The same abundant sunshine that heats up the air to roasting levels during a heat wave also reacts with pollutants found in the air near the Earth’s surface.

Sunshine and pollutants — like those emitted by cars, power plants, other industrial practices and more — undergo a chemical reaction that creates ozone, which is typically what reduces air quality most on a hot day.

Ozone impacts the lungs, which makes it hard to breathe when levels are elevated.

CNN’s Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.

A heat wave unlike any seen in decades is sweeping large parts of the United States, which is also grappling withdeadly wildfires, storms and severe flooding in some areas.

The first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season, now-Tropical Depression Alberto, has been wreaking havoc in northeast Mexico and southern Texas with destructivecoastal flooding,strong winds and heavy rainsextending hundreds of miles from its center.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the extreme heat, wildfires and Alberto, the White House said.

Here’s where things stand:

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued by the Storm Prediction Center for more than 7 million people across parts of New England that have endured record-breaking temperatures in recent days.

Any storms moving through the area could have damaging winds up to 70 mph and up to quarter-sized hail, the SPC said.

The storms will fire up this afternoon thanks to a cold front that will traverse the region and finally end the oppressive heat. Temperatures were in the 90s when the severe thunderstorm watch was issued, with the heat index — what heat feels like to the body — is topping 100 degrees.

Temperatures will plunge into the low 70s once the storms and the cold front move through.

Members of Texas A&M Task Force 1 conduct welfare checks in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Thursday.

Search and rescue crew Texas A&M Task Force 1 rolled through the North Beach community of Corpus Christi, Texas, today with a high-water vehicle and trucks pulling boats.

The team was conducting welfare checks as requested by city officials, according to Merribeth Kahlich, the team’s assistant public information officer.

No rescues had been conducted as of midday, Kahlich said. A CNN team observed one woman being transported out of the area in a high-water vehicle.

A storm surge of 3.5 feet was reported in Corpus Christi this morning – more than a foot higher than levels reported at the same time yesterday, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows. The levels remained high during the afternoon as high tide arrived.

Homes damaged by the South Fork Fire in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

New satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies shows the burn scar and devastation from fires in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Fires are still burning around the village, and a number of homes and structures in the town itself have been completely destroyed.

At least two people have died in the fires, and at least another two were injured.

Wildfires burn near Ruidoso, New Mexico, on June 19.

Homes damaged by the South Fork Fire in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

Wildfires burn near Ruidoso, New Mexico, on June 19.

Over 40,000 Michigan customers, many of whom remain under heat advisories, are without power Thursday following storms Wednesday night.

At least 41,733 Michiganders are without power as of 11 a.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.us.

“Strong storms moved through Michigan yesterday evening causing outages for our customers,” DTE Energy, one of the power companies serving Michigan, said in a statement on its website.

DTE Energy estimated 75% of customers will have restored power by the end of the day.

The power outages come as swaths of southern Michigan remain under heat advisories Thursday,according to the National Weather Service. The service warned more showers and storms could bring torrential downpours and gusty winds this afternoon and evening.

Temperatures will run up to 10 degrees above average in the impacted areas Thursday and Friday.

Some parts of the state, including Ann Arbor and Detroit, are also forecasted to haveair quality that’s unhealthy for sensitive groupsThursday.

CNN’s Eric Zerkel contributed to this report.

Waves crashed over a sea wall this morning as the storm surge from Alberto flooded the coastal town of Surfside Beach in coastal Texas.

Water surrounded rows and rows of homes, as seen in dramatic drone footage this morning.

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Tropical Depression Alberto is seen over Mexico on Thursday morning.

Alberto is now a 35 mph tropical depression tracking through central Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm was located about 95 miles west of Tampico, Mexico, where it made landfall earlier Thursday morning as a tropical storm.

The storm will continue to lose its windy punch as it moves through Mexico and is forecast to fizzle over central parts of the country.

But its dangerous rain will continue, and several more inches could fall over Central Mexico, according to the NHC.

Floodwater flows through a neighborhood on June 20, in Jamaica Beach, Texas.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on extreme heat across the country, wildfires in the western US, and Alberto as the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which made landfall in Mexico, the White House said.

“The President has been briefed on Tropical Storm Alberto and its impacts in Texas and New Mexico, and he is being regularly updated on the ongoing wildfires in New Mexico and California and the actions that FEMA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs are taking in response to the needs of impacted New Mexico communities,” a White House official said.

“The President has also been briefed on the extreme heat affecting communities nationwide,” the official added. The dangerous heatwave is hitting parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

Biden is in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, today before he travels to Camp David for intensive debate prep sessions. The high in Rehoboth Beach is 79 degrees, compared to 91 degrees in Washington, DC, where it could hit 100 degrees this weekend.

Damaged foliage is seen in front of a car destroyed by wildfires in Alto, New Mexico, on June 19.

Fresh precipitation Thursday will help douse wildfires that have torched more than 35 square miles of New Mexico and killed at least two people.

But that same rainfall will create new hazards for first responders and residents – particularly the threat of perilous flooding, said George Ducker, wildfire prevention and communications coordinator for the New Mexico State Forestry Division.

As of Thursday morning, a pair of wildfires that have scorched about 23,000 acres were still 0% contained, Ducker said.

The threat of mud and flooding “is present for pretty much anywhere where we’re getting more than moderate rain or flash rain,” Decker said.

“The conditions are not good for responders,” he said. “What we’re asking is that folks just try to steer clear of the area – stay out of the area.”

Heat-related emergency room visits and calls continued to climb in New York state Tuesday amid a blistering and unusually long-lasting June heat wave.

Heat-related emergency room visits on Tuesday were 631% higher than an average June day in the state, according to state health department data shared with CNN. The 95 heat-related ER visits were more than double the 41 visits on Monday and seven times higher than the average of 13.

Heat-related emergency services calls have also increased in recent days,state health officials said.

The statistics do not include New York City, butcity officials told CNN that they have also seen an increase in visits for heat-related illnesses from May to September in recent years.

Temperatures continued to climb across New York on Tuesday afterpushing into the 90s on Monday.

Thefigureshighlighthow serious a health risk extreme heatis. In the US, heat kills more Americans than any other weather-related disaster, and it will only continue to worsen as the world heats up from burning fossil fuels.

A massive wall of dust stretching more than 100 miles from New Mexico into Mexico raced west across the regions with blinding conditions late Wednesday.

The dust storm, also known as a haboob, set off like a row of cascading dominoes by winds flowing outward from thunderstorms. The same thunderstorms created a flash flood emergency in the fire-ravaged area of Ruidoso, New Mexico.

The haboob reduced visibility to dangerously low levels, creating a hazard for drivers. A dust storm earlier in the day caused a crash involving more than 20 vehicles on Interstate 25 north of Albuquerque, New Mexico, that injured at least 18 people.

A person walks past the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, on June 20.

The US capital is bracing for even more extreme heat to kick off the first official weekend of summer as an unusually long-lasting June heat wave settles over the area.

The heat will build in Washington, DC, over the coming days. After highs in the mid-90s on Friday, the National Weather Service is forecasting a high temperature of 99 degrees on Saturday and 100 degrees by Sunday, which would break a daily high temperature record.

DC hasn’t hit 100 degrees since August 2016.

This graphic shows tropical development chances for two areas over the next seven days.

The tropics will stay active even after Tropical Storm Alberto moves inland over Mexico, with forecasters watching two other areas for potential tropical development in the coming days.

The most immediate threat is located near the northern Bahamas to the east of Florida. It “could become a tropical depression before it reaches the coast of northeast Florida or Georgia on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Regardless of development, coastal areas of northeast Florida and Georgia can expect numerous showers on Friday and Saturday along with gusty winds and high surf.

Another tropical system could form in the same area of the Gulf of Mexico where Alberto originated. It will start over southeastern Mexico and northern Central America on Friday and move into the Bay of Campeche on Saturday. The system could then gradually develop into a tropical depression this weekend while over water.

Weather models show this system taking a similar path as Alberto to the west-northwest into northeastern Mexico by early next week.

Strong thunderstorms mixed with dangerous heat could lead to prolonged power outages in some areas of the US this week.

Not having access to power can impact the ability to keep food and medications cold, see potential danger, maintain a comfortable temperature and stay connected to safety services.

The basics: It’s crucial to ensure electric appliances are disconnected to avoid any harm or damage from power surges,according tothe Federal Emergency Management Agency. It also recommends keeping freezers and refrigerators closed to help maintain cooler temperatures for food preservation. For good measure, turn off the main power breaker in your house and do not use any devices that are wet.

Use flashlights instead of candles: Avoid using candles during a blackout if possible. If you must use them, keep them away from anything that could catch fire and do not leave them unattended, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Ensure a fire extinguisher is available and those around you know how to use it.

Check on neighbors and loved ones: When it’s safe, reach out to people around you to make sure they are doing well. Those who have medical equipment that require power, like respirators, should be taken to locations with generators or a friend’s or neighbor’s home that hasn’t been impacted. And remember: The elderly and young children are especially vulnerable to extreme weather.

A flooded street is seen in Corpus Christi, Texas, on June 20.

Tropical Storm Alberto has made landfall, but its massive sprawl of strong winds is still pushing the Gulf of Mexico onshore in South Texas.

A storm surge of 3.5 feet was reported in Corpus Christi, Texas, Thursday morning – more than a foot higher than levels reported at this time yesterday, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows. Water levels could keep rising, with high tide expected in the early afternoon.

More widespread storm surge of 1 to 2 feet was reported along the coast. At one point Wednesday, Alberto’s wind field was the largest of any Gulf of Mexico tropical storm since 2004, according tohurricane expert Michael Lowry.

Alberto’s size makes it particularly effective at generating storm surge because its winds are pushing on a larger surface area of water.

Zach Pearson, who lost his father in the New Mexico fire told CNN his father was “trying to get away from the fire as fast as he could.”

Through tears, Pearson spoke about his father’s attempt to leave, and said it was “heartbreaking to know he didn’t make it.”

“To know that he was trying to run for his life, trying to get away from the fire,” Pearson said.

A burned car sits in front of a ruined building in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on June 18.

New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez has described the wildfires burning across the state as one of its “most devastating.”

Two fires, burning across Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, have converged on the village of Ruidoso. Two people have died in the fires, and at least another two were injured.

Speaking to CNN’s Sara Sidner, Vasquez said many people he was speaking to did not want to leave their homes, and local, state and federal resources were mobilized to encourage people in the path of the wildfires to evacuate to safety.

He said there was “no question” that property would be lost, “but what we want to prevent is loss of life.”

He also referenced the ongoing impact the climate crisis is having on the fires, and urged Congress and the Biden administration to do more to help those who are impacted by the fires.

“Climate change is only exacerbating both the amount of fires we have… the amount of heat and the unpredictability as these fires continue to rage on. So it’s going to be an issue and it takes an immense amount of resources.”

“This is the new normal. We have to get used to it and Congress and the administration has to act as soon as we spot these fires.”

The world consumed record amounts ofoil, coal and gaslast year, pushing planet-heating carbon pollution to a new high, according to a report published Thursday, shattering climate scientists’ hopes that global energy emissions may have peaked.

The growth in fossil fuels drove a 2.1% increase in energy-related emissions last year, pushing them above 40 billion metric tons for the first time, according to the report published Thursday by the Energy Institute.

The report paints a bleak picture of a world struggling to wean itself off planet-warming fossil fuels even as the impacts of the climate crisis becomemore intense and more deadly.

Brutal extreme heatis currently scorching swaths of the planet. A heat wave unlike any seen in decades is sweeping large parts of the US, which is also grappling withdeadly wildfires, storms and severe flooding. Hundreds ofpeople have diedas temperatures rose to 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. And India is currently grappling with a deadly summer heat wave which haskilled dozens of people.

The report also shows that even though the world is adding clean, renewables at record levels, global energy demand is growing so fast that fossil fuels are filling the gaps.

Last year was “another year of highs in our energy hungry world,” said Juliet Davenport, president of the Energy Institute. “Energy is central to human progress,” she added. “It is also now central to our very survival.”

Read more about how human use of fossil fuels is driving extreme weather here.

Government employees work to drain a flooded overpass as tropical stormAlbertocontinues to advance, in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 19.

Tropical Storm Alberto has made landfall near Tampico, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. It has 45 mph winds.

As the storm pushes inland, it could trigger considerable flash and urban flooding and will continue to lash areas with tropical storm-force winds.

With strong winds and rain extending hundreds of miles from its center, Alberto has already been wreaking havoc in northeast Mexico and southern Texas, lashing the region with destructive coastal flooding, heavy rains and strong winds.

Storm clouds are seen over Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico, on June 19.

Three minors have died as a result of heavy rains in Mexico’s Nuevo León state, Gov. Samuel García said Wednesday night as Tropical Storm Alberto battered the area.

García said the children died while playing, but didn’t provide additional details. He said the deaths could have been avoided and urged parents to take greater care of their kids.

Classes have been suspended in both Nuevo León and neighboring Coahuila state due to forecasts of rain and floods.

“There’s a reason classes were suspended,” García told a local media outlet. “This is not ordinary rain.”

García also announced the temporary suspension of work, transportation and movement in the state from 10 p.m. Wednesday until noon local time Thursday.

He said hospitals and shelters would remain operational during that time.

Vehicles drive through flooded neighborhoods in Surfside Beach, Texas, on June 19.

As Tropical Storm Alberto nears the coast of Mexico early Thursday morning, tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along the Texas coast as heavy rains and gusty winds begin to subside, according to the National Hurricane Center. The tropical storm warning for northern Mexico continues.

“Rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Alberto is expected to begin to diminish across southern Texas during the day, with additional rainfall totals of 1 inch or less expected,” the hurricane center said.

Meanwhile, coastal flood advisories continue along the Texas coast as storm surge could reach 2 to 4 feet.

Alberto is located about 40 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, and 250 miles south of Brownsville, Texas, moving west at 13 mph, according to the 5 a.m. ET National Hurricane Center update.

Skeletons of vehicles sit in front of residences in the aftermath of theSouthForkfire in Alto, New Mexico, on June 19.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked President Joe Bidento declare a major disaster in response to theSouth Fork Fireand the Salt Fire, the governor said Wednesday night.

The aid would be used to address the needs of fire victims, including housing, crisis counseling and displacement assistance.

A plume of smoke rises from the South Fork fire as a vehicle passes through the evacuated town of Ruidoso,NewMexico, on June 19.

Within 24 hours, two fires raging in southern New Mexico havekilled at least two people, damaged 1,400 structures and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents in what the state’s governor called “one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico’s history.”

About 500 of the damaged buildings are believed to be homes, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Wednesday night.

USDA Forest Service firefighters return from battling the blaze and assisting with evacuations caused by the South Fork Fire in Ruidoso,NewMexico, on June 17.

No cause has been determined for the fires, but investigators are working diligently to pinpoint their origin, the governor said.

Severe thunderstorms in the area have alsotriggered floodingand more rainfall is expected Thursday. Grisham urged residents not to try to return to the Ruidoso area.

The South Fork Fire has consumed 16,335 acres and the Salt Fire has burned 7,071 acres, according to aninteragency advisory.

A relentless streak of extreme weather is disrupting communities across the US from dangerous heat in the East to fires and floods in the West.

To make matters worse, a massive tropical storm is expected to make landfall in northeastern Mexico Thursday morning and is already being felt in southern Texas, where entire neighborhoods have been swamped with floodwaters.

Here’s where we start the day:

Tropical Storm Alberto nears landfall:The gigantic tropical storm is expected to slam into Tampico, Mexico, Thursday morning. With outer bands reaching more than 400 miles from its center, Alberto’s impacts arealready being feltin northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, where heavy rains, coastal flooding and tropical storm-force winds are wreaking havoc. Dangerous flash flooding and storm surge are likely to inundate coastal communities in these areas, as well as southern Louisiana.

Fires and floods create crisis in New Mexico:Within 24 hours, two fires raging in southern New Mexico havekilled at least two people, damaged 1,400 structures and forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents. The state’s governor has requested federal disaster assistance andcalled the crisis“one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico’s history.” To make matters worse, thunderstorms in the area have triggered dangerous flooding – and morerain is on the wayThursday.

California firefighters brace for 100-degree heat:Crews working to reign in the 19,000-acre Sites Fire in California may have to contend with100-degree temperaturesover the coming days as a heat advisory has been issued for central California. Not only does the heat threaten to feed the flames, but it also poses significant health risks for firefighters working under the sun.

Heat wave broils the Northeast:A long-lasting heat wave has been baking the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast under 90-degree temperatures – reaching more than 20 degrees above normal in some places. More than 15 daily high temperature records were broken on Wednesday. The heat wave isexpected to peakin the Great Lakes and New England on Thursday but will continue for several more days in many areas. Because heat worsens the ozone and other types of pollution, severalair quality advisoriesare in effect.

Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense.

Scientists who study the role of global warming on weather say that every heat wave today bears the fingerprints of the climate crisis.

Climate change, driven primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, is worsening global extreme weather in general, but much of that change is related to heat.Heat fuels other types of extreme weather by adding moisture to the atmosphere, making events likeheavy rainfall and floods — as well asdestructive storms — more intense. For every 1 degree Celsius that the planet warms, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphereincreases by about 7%.

Scientists are also able to estimate just how much climate change is playing a role in particular weather events.

An analysis from the World Weather Attribution initiative found that extreme heatwaves acrossparts of theUnited States and southern EuropeinJulylast yearwould have been“virtually impossible” without climate change.China’s heat wave at the same time was made at least 50 times more likely because of global warming.

Extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather globally, and it impacts many aspects of life, exacerbating drought anddrying up water reservoirs,making wildfires more likely and destructive, disrupting electricity systems, and causing agricultural losses.Experts warn that the impacts of heat will hit developing nations and poorer members of society more profoundly.

Extreme heat is by far the deadliest form of severe weather, killing on averagetwice as many peoplea year as tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

Two of the most commonheat-related conditions areheatstrokeandheat exhaustion.

Withheatstroke, the body can’t cool itself. Its temperature rises quickly, and its natural cooling mechanism – sweat – fails. A person’s temperature can rise to a dangerous 106 degrees or higher within just 10 or 15 minutes. This can lead to disability or even death.

A person who has heatstroke may sweat profusely or not at all. They can become confused or pass out, and they could have a seizure.

Heat exhaustion happens when the body loses too much water or salt through excessive sweating. That can come with symptoms like nausea, dizziness, irritability, thirst, headache and elevated body temperature.

With both conditions, emergency help is needed quickly. While waiting for assistance, bystanders can try to cool the person by moving them to the shade and giving them water.