Millions swelter under extreme heat as climate crisis tightens grip on US – as it happened
Heat dome of high pressure hovers over Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma as thousands remain without power in Chicago with heavy rains knocking down trees and power lines Heres a recap of todays developments: Millions across the US have been caught up in dangerous weather conditions over the weekend and are braced for further extreme conditions ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, as thunderstorms and intense heat continue to affect much of the country. As of Monday, 36 million people are under excessive heat warnings in the US, particularly in the south and western regions. Record high temperatures in some places will likely remain as many gear up to celebrate the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday. A large swath of the US, from northern California through Washington state, will bake under intense heat for multiple days this week. Many midwest cities are also dealing with the aftermath of severe rain and flooding. Weekend thunderstorms in Chicago flooded streets and highways, as nearly nine inches of rain fell in some areas of the city in just a few hours. Many in the midwest are still without power after the weekend storms. A 33-year-old woman died in her parked car in St Louis when a tree fell on the vehicle, and a five-year-old boy was killed in his bedroom when a tree fell on his house in Jennings, Missouri, in St Louis county. More wildfire smoke is expected to return to the northern states of the US, less than a week after smoke from Canadian wildfires resulted in hazy skies and dangerous air quality across the US midwest and north-east. A woman has died due to heat-related issues while on a hike at Grand Canyon national park, according to authorities. The hiker, identified as a 57-year-old woman, was attempting an eight-mile hike when she fell unconscious, a park release said. Park officials said the high temperature at Tuweep was well over 100F (37C) degrees on Sunday. The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C (2.7F) is moving out of reach, climate experts have warned, with countries failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea. The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C (2.7F) is moving out of reach, climate experts have warned, with countries failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea, Reuters reported. As climate envoys from the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters prepare to meet next month, the Chinese capital of Beijing saw record-breaking temperatures for the month, while parts of the US have been gripped by a prolonged heatwave for weeks. The World Meteorological Organization has predicted a 66% likelihood that global temperatures will breach 1.5C for at least one whole year between now and 2027. Very unusual, worrying, terrifying and bonkers : the reactions of veteran scientists to the sharp increase in north Atlantic surface temperatures over the past three months raise the question of whether the worlds climate has entered a more erratic and dangerous phase with the onset of an El Nino event on top of human-made global heating. Since April, the warming appears to have entered a new trajectory. Meanwhile, the area of global sea ice has dropped by more than 1m sq km (390,000 sq miles) below the previous low. If a few decades ago, some people might have thought climate change was a relatively slow-moving phenomenon, we are now witnessing our climate changing at a terrifying rate, said Prof Peter Stott, who leads the UK Met Offices climate monitoring and attribution team. As the El Nino builds through the rest of this year, adding an extra oomph to the damaging effects of human-induced global heating, many millions of people across the planet and many diverse ecosystems are going to face extraordinary challenges and unfortunately suffer great damage. The El Nino climate pattern emerges when normal easterly winds weaken and warm water spreads across the whole Pacific. The immediate impact is on marine life which is unaccustomed to waters that have warmed by several degrees in some areas. More worrying still, the extra energy in the ocean, which is the worlds biggest heat absorber, may bring fiercer-than-usual storms, more destructive rain dumps and longer, hotter heatwaves. Read the full story here. High temperatures will soar to levels well above the historical average during the Fourth of July and beyond, forecasters say. Intense summer heat will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, as people host outdoor parties, head out to cool off at the pool or lake, watch fireworks displays or even participate in holiday races. AccuWeather meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo said: The heat is due to a northward bulge of the jet stream that will allow a heat dome to develop over the northwestern US and western British Columbia, Canada. A large swath of the US, from Northern California through Washington state, will bake under intense heat for multiple days this week. LoBiondo continued: High temperatures through at least Wednesday are setting up to run 1020 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average for this time of year. Record high temperatures will be challenged from Medford, Oregon, to the southwestern Canadian coast. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for portions of north-eastern Wyoming, south-eastern Montana, and western South Dakota , the National Weather Service said. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of northeastern WY, southeastern MT, and western SD until 12 AM MDT. The main threats are very large hail (up to 3" in diameter), significant wind gusts (up to 90mph), and a tornado or two. More Info: https://t.co/cpnLqiKL4u pic.twitter.com/Feo7Vf1oX3 A woman has died due to heat-related issues while on a hike at Grand Canyon national park, according to authorities. A park ranger was notified at about 6.30pm on Sunday that a hiker was in need of help in the remote Tuweep area of the park, park officials said. The hiker, identified as a 57-year-old woman, was attempting an 8-mile hike when she became unconscious, a park release said. A park ranger arrived at her location at about 1am on Monday and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Park officials said the high temperature at Tuweep was well over 100F (37C) degrees on Sunday. The National Park Service and the Mohave county medical examiner are investigating the incident. In Canada, crews are working to survey the damage after a tornado touched down north of Calgary on Saturday, destroying a number of homes and damaging others. A handful of homes were completely flattened by the twister that tore a path of destruction between the towns of Carstairs and Didsbury, CBC reported. No one was seriously injured by the storm, but a woman was found trapped in her basement after the tornado destroyed her house. Farm buildings and power infrastructure were also damaged or destroyed. Elisa Humphreys got in her car with her dog and cat and fled moments before the tornado destroyed her home on Saturday afternoon. When she returned, there was nothing but debris left. Humphreys told CBC News: Theres nothing here, theres nothing here, its all gone. It almost looks like airplanes crashed here, but what it is, is the total destruction of two homes that have just been shredded and spread everywhere. So this just happened on my first ever chase lol #abstorm pic.twitter.com/ou2zW2mmp7 Less than a week after smoke from Canadian wildfires resulted in hazy skies and dangerous air quality across the US midwest and north-east, more wildfire smoke is expected to return to cover a broader scope across the northern states. As of Monday, more than 500 active fires were burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Of the fires active on Monday, at least 284 were considered to be out of control. By Monday morning, the total acreage burned this year was over 20.7m. Smoke is forecast to shift out of the Canadian Rockies and prairies into the neighboring northern plains and north-west US, leading to poor air quality and low visibility, AccuWeather reported. The smoke is forecast to reach cities like Seattle; Helena, Montana; and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Later in the week, there is some smoke risk and the potential for poor air quality to return as a surface high slides into the upper midwest, bringing a northern wind into the region and in the north-east, according to the AccuWeather meteorologist Joseph Bauer. He said: The general pattern through at least the middle portion of the month is supportive of having more episodes of smoke enter the Midwest and Northeast from Canada. As a result, more occurrences of poor air quality and hazy skies can occur in these areas more frequently. A weekend wildfire in southwestern Washington has grown to 533 acres and destroyed an undetermined number of structures, according to officials. Skamania county firefighters responded to reports of the wildfire on Sunday at about 11am, AP reports. Hot, windy conditions caused the fire to spread rapidly through the afternoon, prompting authorities to order residents in the area to evacuate. As of Monday morning, a total of 166 fire personnel were engaged with the fire, which is 0% contained. The fire threatens hundreds of residences, a fish hatchery and vineyards, the Seattle Times reported. The fires cause is under investigation. Intense storm conditions this weekend caused flooding in the Chicago area, shutting down interstates and trapping drivers attempting to navigate flooded areas. According to US National Weather Service Chicago Illinois - estimates indicate widespread 3-7" rainfall totals, with some localized rain totals higher than 8 inches. Here are just a few pictures from our OEMC team of the areas that were flooded from the fast-falling rain. pic.twitter.com/T9ldE8NNvf A Chicago police officer called for assistance around 9:40 this morning after getting stuck in some deep standing water near Flournoy and Cicero on the west side. A police source says the officer is fine but a good reminder to be careful driving in this heavy rain! @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/ZK8vVwZJs1 Here is more on how a heat dome hovering over parts of the south are increasing temperatures in New Orleans , from Sarah Sneath for the Guardian: After service ended at the New Philippians Missionary Baptist church in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans on Sunday, the church kept its doors open for people from the neighborhood who needed a break from the heat. A heat dome of high pressure has been hovering over Louisiana , Texas and Oklahoma creating dangerously hot weather for nearly two weeks. On Sunday, heat index values threatened to hit 110F in New Orleans, according to the National Weather Service. The sermon in church that morning was about letting go. Psalm 37 starts out with Fret not thyself because of evildoers, said Pastor Anthony Jeanmarie III. Its just encouraging us as believers that things in life happen to us sometimes that are of ill intent, but our job is not to focus on the person or the problem. But Mother Nature herself did not want to let go or let up, with a heat advisory expected to last through Tuesday. Heat index readings reached as high as 120F last week and evening temperatures in the 80s offered little reprieve. This heat is disrespectful, said church secretary Thelma Curtis. The city of New Orleans announced that cooling centers, including the New Philippians Missionary Baptist church, will be open for residents to escape the heat throughout the weekend. Louisianas high humidity makes it even harder for the body to cool down during high temperatures, said Alicia Van Doren, who helped write a recent report for the Louisiana department of health about heat-related illnesses in the state. Read the full article here . Tens of thousands of people are still without power on Monday afternoon after a storm ripped through the St Louis region on Saturday, killing two people. A 33-year-old woman died in her parked car in St Louis when a tree fell on the vehicle, AP News reported. A five-year-old boy was killed in his bedroom when a tree fell on his house in Jennings, Missouri, in St Louis County. CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Mike Schneller from the St. Louis metro sent FOX 2 this video of intense storm conditions Saturday from his home. Some are reporting power outages, uprooted trees and other damages in Missouri and Illinois. pic.twitter.com/Zv2SF8OqHK