By: Sammy Wang
A massive heat wave hit North America, Asia, and Europe. On July 27th, New Yorkers cooled off by a fountain because of the scorching weather.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that June would be the hottest month of 2023, and it might even be the hottest month ever recorded.
“We don’t have to wait for the end of the month to know this. Short of a mini-Ice Age over the next days, July 2023 will shatter records across the board,” Guterres said.
A heat wave is when unusually hot weather impacts a specific area for some time. Heat waves can last for about a few days to a few weeks. Heat waves form when a high-pressure system forces air down. This results in trapped air, which goes down due to the pressure.
As the air gets pushed down, it also traps warm ground air. The land above the air gets affected by heat, and without anything to release the hot air, nothing stops the air from getting hotter.
This summer, Asia, Europe, and North America have been this year’s heat wave victims. China’s heat wave was 52.2°C (126°F) in Sanbao on July 16, 2023, the highest temperature recorded in history.
In Europe, they recorded the hottest day and highest-ever records of daily minimum temperature in Catalunya. Arizona had the highest nighttime temperature in the US at 95 F (35 C).
Heat waves can happen anywhere that has high-pressure air. Heat waves can cause droughts, wildfires, and sometimes power outages. It can also get over 90° F causing some dangers to humans and animals.
Heat waves can cause dehydration, muscle cramps, nausea, and headaches. In danger, heat waves can cause heat strokes.
Ways to stay cool during heat waves include staying inside and dressing lightly. Drinking water is also essential to surviving a heat wave.
Or people could go cool off in water fountains like New Yorkers.
Sources: https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-heat-in-north-america-europe-and-china-in-july-2023-made-much-more-likely-by-climate-change/