Brutal heatwave to descend on U.S. West, prompting fire warnings
Brutal heatwave to descend on U.S. West, prompting fire warnings
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES, June 14 (Reuters) - A heatwave already punishing parts of the U.S. Southwest on Monday was expected to move into California this week, prompting the forecasters to warn of health and fire dangers.
A high-pressure ridge that built over southwestern deserts over the past few days is responsible for the unusually blistering heat this early in the year, National Weather Service meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski said.
"Today last day of seasonable weather in California," Rogacheski said.
California saw balmy weather on Monday, with temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s Fahrenheit (30-35°C), but forecasts called for warming on Tuesday, spiking into the triple digits by Thursday and lasting several days.
The weather service issued an excessive heat warning for parts of southwest Arizona, including Phoenix, on Monday, predicting "dangerously hot conditions" at last through Saturday.
"Very High Heat Risk. Increase in heat-related illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat stroke can lead to death," the NWS said in the advisory.
California's dry winter left forests and brush parched, prompting worries that the heat wave could touch off wildfires.
Wildfires scorched more than 6,500 square miles (17,000 square km) of land in 2020, destroying hundreds of Californian homes during a particularly fierce fire season.
The baking weather could also strain California's power grid as residents crank up air conditioning units across the state.
Experts say the heatwave forecast for this week, brought on by the early high pressure system, could not be blamed directly on climate change.
"It difficult to tie any one particular event to climate change," said Eric Schoening, a meteorologist in the Salt Lake City office of the National Weather Service. "But studies show that as the climate changes and it gets warmer, we will see more of these anomalous events over time."
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb
Editing by Marguerita Choy)
((Dan.Whitcomb@tr.com; 310-491-7290;)
丹·惠特科姆(Dan Whitcomb)著路透洛杉矶6月14日电-周一已经在惩罚美国西南部部分地区的热浪预计本周将进入加利福尼亚州，促使天气预报员警告健康和火灾危险.美国国家气象局气象学家Karleisa Rogacheski说，过去几天在西南部沙漠上空建立的高压脊是今年年初异常炎热的原因。罗高切斯基说：“今天是加州季节性天气的最后一天。”加州周一天气温和，气温在80华氏度以上，90华氏度(30-35摄氏度)较低，但天气预报称周二将变暖，到周四将飙升至三位数，并持续数天。周一，气象局发布了亚利桑那州西南部部分地区(包括凤凰城)的高温预警，预测最终将持续到周六。国家气象局在报告中说：“中暑风险非常高。与中暑相关的疾病增加，包括中暑抽筋、中暑和中暑。中暑可能导致死亡。”加州干燥的冬天使森林和灌木丛变得干燥，这引发了人们对热浪可能引发野火的担忧。2020年，野火烧毁了超过6500平方英里(1.7万平方公里)的土地，在特别猛烈的火灾季节摧毁了加州数百所房屋。炎热的天气也可能使加州的电网变得紧张，因为全州的居民都会启动空调机组。专家表示，由早期高压系统带来的本周热浪预报不能直接归咎于气候变化。美国国家气象局盐湖城办公室的气象学家埃里克·舍宁(Eric Schoning)说：“很难把任何一个特定事件与气候变化联系起来。”“但研究表明，随着气候变化和变暖，随着时间的推移，我们会看到更多这样的异常事件。”(Dan Whitcomb报道)编辑：Marguerita Choy)(Dan.Whitcomb@tr.com；310-491-7290；)