Perilous Times and Climate Change
US swelters as horrific heat wave continues........
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Aug 10, 2010
More than 15 US states sweltered under weather alerts and warnings
Tuesday amid a heat wave that flared in July and shows no sign of
abating, particularly in the eastern United States, weather services
said.
On Tuesday, the combined effects of high temperatures and humidity
drove the heat index up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees
Celsius) in a number of states, according to the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration.
From Texas to New York, "at least 16 states have either an excessive
heat warning or a heat advisory," said Bruce Sullivan, a spokesman for
NOAA.
"The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity generally create
dangerous situation where heat illnesses are likely," he said.
Temperatures throughout the country averaged 75.5 degrees Fahrenheit
(24.1 degrees Celsius) in July -- 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit higher than
the average July temperature for the period from 1901 to 2000.
Several east coast cities have seen record highs, with average
temperatures of 83.1 degrees Fahrenheit (28.4 Celsius) in July,
matching the all-time record for the month in 1993, NOAA said.
July was the hottest month ever recorded for the northeastern states of
Rhode Island and Delaware.
The period from May to July was the hottest on record in the northeast
and southeast regions of the United States. US weather records go back
to 1895.
At least a dozen people died in July from accidents or conditions
linked to the heat, NOAA said, adding that the toll is far from
complete at this stage.
Each year, heat kills 162 people on average in the United States, more
than are killed by hurricanes
(117 on average), floods (65), tornados (62) or lightning (48).