The “thermal dome” that sets temperatures in the United States and Canada into record numbers | Global Warming

In Lytton, British Columbia, thermometers reached 46.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday (27), surpassing an 84-year record, according to authorities.

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A phenomenon called thermal dome (the high static pressure that acts as a vessel cover) has led to record high temperatures in other areas of North America.

The United States and Canada have warned residents of the dangers surrounding heat levels that could persist throughout the week.

Experts say climate change linked to global warming will increase the frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves. However, it is complicated to link an isolated event to the warming of the planet.

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BBC meteorologist Nick Miller explains that this “thermal dome” is not an obvious meteorological term, but is often associated with describing large areas of high pressure that result in clear skies and sunny, warm days.

The longer the high pressure scenario, the more severe the heat wave, with temperatures rising every day.

This high pressure area is huge, stretching from California to the Canadian Arctic regions through the interior of Idaho.

Sales of air conditioners and fans exploded and cooling shelters opened. Some bars, restaurants, and even swimming pools were deemed too hot to function.

Lytton, located about 250 kilometers northeast of Vancouver (western Canada), broke the previous Canadian record in July 1937, when the temperature in two cities in Saskatchewan, Yellow Grass and Midal, reached 45 degrees Celsius.

David Phillips, chief climate scientist for Environment Canada (a division of the country’s environment ministry), told CTV: “I’d love to break a record, but this is like smashing and smashing it in western Canada than it is in Dubai (UAE)”.

• Historic drought hit the largest reservoir in the United States

The specialist said that there is a possibility that the regions of the country will exceed 47 degrees Celsius.

British Columbia energy providers say there is an increased demand for electricity to run air conditioners.

Environment Canada said the warning extended to other regions of the country and predicted a “prolonged, dangerous and historic heat wave that will continue this week”, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius higher than normal.

“Historic” heat in the northwestern United States

The Northwest region of the United States also broke records. The National Weather Service (NWS) described the heat waves as “historic” and said they would continue throughout the week, “with the potential to set many daily, monthly and even historical records.”

Portland and Seattle, two cities known for their precipitation climates, recorded the highest temperatures in their history. The first broke his previous record when temperatures reached 44 degrees Celsius, and the second did the same when they reached 40 degrees Celsius, according to official data.

Oregon, where Portland is located, has relaxed restrictions adopted against the COVID-19 pandemic to allow swimming pools and air-conditioned areas such as malls to open. However, Seattle had to close a pool due to “dangerous and unsafe temperatures on the pool deck.”

Fruit growers are rushing to harvest crops, fearing that the heat will spoil cherries and other products. But the harvest must be stopped at lunch because the temperature becomes unbearable.

“We’re navigating completely uncharted waters,” PJ Thorby, president of Northwest Cherry Growers, the committee that brings together cherry growers, told the Seattle Times.

Sunday’s US Olympic qualifiers in Eugene, Oregon, had to be suspended due to the heat. The fans were asked to leave the stadium for security reasons. Some vaccination centers have also closed for the same reason.

All citizens have been advised to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous activities, and keep an eye on the most vulnerable neighbors.

“Climate Emergency,” Roger Harrabin, an environmental specialist, analyzes:

“We can’t say for sure that this brutal heat wave was caused by greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate the greenhouse effect, but scientists argue that every heat wave that occurs today is more likely and more intense due to human-caused climate change.

In fact, scientists have greatly improved the ability to link extreme events to climate change, such as the heat wave that hit Europe in 2019, which researchers say was 100 times more likely due to carbon dioxide emissions.

Even more worryingly, these global temperatures have been reached with global temperatures of more than 1.1°C above pre-industrial times.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considers it likely that we will exceed 1.5°C above this level in a short period of time. At current rates we will exceed a 2 degree Celsius rise, maybe more.

However, China and India continue to build new coal-fired power plants. And the Group of Seven, the group of the world’s richest economies (Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) has not set a deadline for ending this form of power generation.

The UK and other countries are still drilling wells to burn more oil and gas, arguing that it will be needed by 2050.

All of this definitely points to a climate emergency.”