By: Andrew Tan

Heat waves are coming back fast. Everyone around the world is in for some dangerous heat waves over the weekend. Especially in the west and southwest of the United States.

Why are heat waves here right now? This happens whenever high pressure moves in and pushes warm air down to the ground. According to the US National Weather Service, “over 100 million Americans are currently being affected by dangerous temperatures.” The NWS encourages everyone to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms.

How are the heat waves spreading so fast? This occurs when small particles knock into cooler particles, passing on heat energy. Governments in many larger cities in the United States have set up “cooling centers” to give people a place to escape the high temperatures.

Not only is the United States having heat waves, but Europe is also experiencing drastically changing temperatures. Europeans have faced extreme heat and extreme drought in the past month and in recent days. According to News for Kids, Spain’s weather office says that now summer seems to be starting about a month earlier than it did just 50 years ago.

These heat waves have been so intense that India and Pakistan are in extreme drought. These countries haven’t been rained on for a while, so they have been forced to limit water use.

From politics to climate change, the world is drastically changing every minute. Everyone should stay safe and be prepared for what’s coming next.

Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655668161895x886234024821914200/Dangerous%20Heat%20Waves%20Around%20the%20World.pdf