Record temperatures were registered on Saturday (June 11) in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver and Death Valley in the US. The southwestern states of the country are in the grips of a potentially deadly heatwave. It is predicted that the temperatures may hit 47 degrees celsius (117 Fahrenheit) in coming days.
National Weather Service in Phoenix said that the temperature hit 114 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). This equated the record set in 1918.”
In Colorado, a temperature of 100 F (38 C) was recorded in Denver. This was equal to a record set in 2013.
In Death Valley, California, temperature hit 122 F (50 C) on June 11.
While the region usually heats up at this time of year, forecasters warned it would be considerably hotter than average.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can be exceedingly dangerous for humans.
The World Health Organization says excessive heat stresses the body, and increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
“Heatwaves can acutely impact large populations for short periods of time, often trigger public health emergencies, and result in excess mortality, and cascading socioeconomic impacts,” the WHO says on its website.
Heatwaves and temperature variations are a natural part of the climate, but scientists say human-caused global warming is creating a greater number of extreme events, sometimes with devastating consequences.
In June last year a “heat dome” sat over the western United States and Canada.
The intense temperatures and worst-in-a-millennium drought gripping the region led to numerous fires.
(With inputs from agencies)
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