Huge swaths of the United States came under heat warnings or advisories on Sunday as western and southern states continued to face record-breaking temperatures.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning of “a widespread and oppressive heat wave” in various parts of the Southwest, southern Florida and western Gulf Coast, with millions of people facing health risks in the coming week due to the sizzling temperatures.
Southern Californians, where the temperature had shot to 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit (41-43 Celsius) on Saturday, faced another round of brutal temperatures on Sunday, as mercury was expected to rise to 115F (46C) in parts of Nevada, California and Arizona, said the NWS.
Killer heat
The famous Death Valley, which is located in California and is said to be one of the hottest places on Earth, reached a near-record temperature of 126F (52C) by Sunday afternoon. Tourists flocked to the national park to experience what the NWS had warned will be “life-threatening daytime heat” which will remain till Tuesday night.
Speaking to broadcaster MSNBC on Sunday, visitor Eliana Luna said that the heat felt like a “burning sensation” on her body. “The heat, you can feel it dripping through the back, all the way down,” she added.
The NWS stated that the heat is becoming a killer in the United States and appealed to Americans to take the warnings seriously. “In total, from South Florida and the Gulf Coast to the Southwest, over 80 million people remain under either an Excessive Heat Warning or Heat Advisory as of early this morning,” stated the NWS in a Sunday morning bulletin.
No respite for people as flash floods create havoc
At least five people were killed in flash floods and downpours in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The region received around 7 inches (17 cm) of rain for 45 minutes late on Saturday, said Upper Makefield Township Fire Chief Tim Brewer in a press conference, adding that it led to the death of people as vehicles swept away. He added that two children, aged 9 and 2, have been missing.
“We continue to look for the two children. We are not going to give up regardless. The weather is a factor but at this point we are going to continue the operations and have already set things in motion for tomorrow as well,” said Brewer.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday appealed to residents in her state to not travel till the rain passes, saying that “your car can go from a place of safety to a place of death” if it gets carried away in a flash flood.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service said that an EF-0 tornado touched down in North Brookfield. It stated that the tornado remained on the ground for about two miles. It further stated that the winds of the tornado peaked at around 80 miles per hour.
The NWS said that the tornado was witnessed by several people, though no one saw an actual funnel. It added that no homes were damaged and no person was hurt in the incident. The North Brookfield Emergency Management Agency said the “significant” damage was caused by the tornado on the north side of town.
Red alerts for heat wave in Europe
Hot weather red alerts were issued by Italy for 16 cities on Sunday as meteorologists warned that temperatures are likely to soar to record highs across southern Europe in the days ahead. Greece, Spain and Italy have been battling scorching temperatures for many days.
“We need to prepare for a severe heat storm that, day after day, will blanket the whole country,” warned Italian weather news service Meteo.it on Sunday. “In some places ancient heat records will be broken,” it added.
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Italy’s Health Minister Orazio Schillaci appealed to people to take care of themselves while visiting Rome’s famous ruins.
“Going to the Colosseum when it is 43C (109.4F) is not advisable, especially for an elderly person,” he said in Il Messaggero newspaper on Sunday, adding people should remain indoors between 11 am and 6 pm local time.
