From WIRED · Dennis Mersereau · · 1m 50s
Summer won't quit. El Niño and climate change are why
Record heat is stretching into fall across the US, with no relief in sight through winter.
In brief
Record heat is stretching into fall across the US, with no relief in sight through winter. Climate change is raising the baseline for extreme heat, while El Niño patterns are keeping temperatures unseasonably warm through fall and winter. Originally reported by WIRED.
Summer refuses to end
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Early summer heat across the US is stretching into September and beyond. Forecasters predict above-normal temperatures through at least the end of the month, with some areas running 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than normal.
2024 broke heat records everywhere
The US just experienced its hottest summer on record. Nearly 44,000 record daytime highs and over 53,000 record overnight lows have fallen this year, with only about 21,500 cold records set by comparison.
Some records date back centuries
Salt Lake City hit 109 degrees Fahrenheit on July 12, its hottest temperature since records began in 1874. Washington, DC tied its all-time warmest overnight low of 84 degrees on July 3, where observations date back to 1871.
Climate change is the main culprit
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Rising average temperatures raise the baseline for extreme heat, making hot days even hotter than they would have been decades ago. A warmer climate also creates more heat domes, the high-pressure systems that trap scorching air and prevent overnight cooling.
Overnight heat is especially deadly
Many communities have seen a sharp increase in overnight temperatures during warm months. Without beneficial cooling at night, heat stress becomes too much for people to withstand, making heat waves particularly deadly.
El Niño will keep it warm through winter
This year's El Niño, a pattern of warmer-than-normal Pacific waters, is shaping up to be record-setting. Strong El Niños typically bring warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of the US through fall and winter, meaning heat records could keep falling.
The essence
Climate change is raising the baseline for extreme heat, while El Niño patterns are keeping temperatures unseasonably warm through fall and winter.
