Heatwave scorching US west ‘virtually impossible’ without climate crisis, say scientists
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- A record-breaking heatwave in the US west this week, with temperatures up to 30F (17C) above average, would have been "virtually impossible" without the climate crisis, according to scientists from World Weather Attribution.
- The climate crisis, driven mainly by fossil fuel burning, has made such extreme heatwaves four times more likely over the past decade, with current temperatures about 1.4F (0.8C) warmer than in 2016.
- The heatwave, fueled by a high-pressure system, shattered temperature records in 140 cities from California to Missouri and prompted extreme heat warnings in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
- The heat is expected to intensify and spread to the plains and
