Severe Heatwave Alert – Earth Extremities (2024)

Much of southern Europe is baking in extreme heat, with Greece seeing temperatures of 40C (104F) or more.

The Acropolis, the country’s most popular tourist attraction, was closed during the hottest hours of the day to protect visitors.

Potentially record temperatures are expected next week as another heatwave approaches.

The European Space Agency (ESA) says Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland may see extreme conditions.

The ESA monitors land and sea temperatures via its satellites.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.8C in Sicily in August 2021.

There are also fears in Greece of a greater risk of wildfires, especially in areas with high winds. It suffered major wildfires in 2021 in another exceptional heatwave.

In Croatia, fires broke out on Thursday, burning houses and cars in at least one village, Grebastica, on the Dalmatian coast. Officials told Croatian TV on Friday morning that the fire had been brought under control.

High temperatures have also been reaching into central parts of Europe, with Germany and Poland among countries affected.

Czechia’s meteorological office issued a warning that temperatures at the weekend could go above 38C, which is exceptionally high for the country.

Meanwhile in the UK, heavy showers and gusty winds are expected in parts of England on Saturday.

Meteorologists quoted by PA suggested this was because the southern shift of the jet stream which was fuelling the hot weather in Europe, was also drawing low-pressure systems into the UK, bringing unsettled and cooler weather.

Courtesy of BBC News

https://tinyurl.com/26jhpdxp

UK HEATWAVE RED ALERT

Courtesy of the Met Office

UK HEATWAVE LEVEL 4 RED ALERT ISSUED

BE ALERT

UK HEATWAVE AMBER ALERT

Courtesy of the Met Office

UK HEATWAVE LEVEL 3 AMBER ALERT ISSUED

BE ALERT

UK HEATWAVE AMBER ALERT

Courtesy of the Met Office

UK HEATWAVE LEVEL 3 AMBER ALERT ISSUED

BE ALERT

UK MetOffice ISSUES HEATWAVE AMBER LEVEL 3 ALERT

Courtesy of the Met Office

The nearly 11,000-acre Elbow Creek Fire in northeast Oregon continues to be pushed by erratic winds and hot temperatures, challenging firefighters as the fire burns primarily to the east and west, with some growth to the north, officials said Saturday as Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Conflagration Act to bring in more outside resources..

The fire is located in the Grande Ronde River drainage near Mud Springs, about 30 miles southeast of Walla Walla, Wash.

Here’s the rest of Saturday morning’s update from the Oregon Department of Forestry:

Helicopters and air tankers worked to slow the spread of the fire to the north and south yesterday, while crews aided in structure protection. Firefighters also worked the northwest side of the fire to keep the fire from spreading into Elbow Creek and progressing further through the Grande Ronde River drainage. Support from heavy airtankers aided in limiting the fire spread on the south on private ownership and firefighters were able to hold the fire last night north of Sickfoot Road.

Based on infrared mapping, the fire is estimated to be 10,941 acres in size, and remains at 0% containment.

Today, suppression activities are focused on holding the fire in the Wildcat Creek area on the east side and protecting structures at risk. Additionally, firefighters are establishing anchor points and scouting opportunities to build containment lines to the west side of the fire near Elbow Creek. Where terrain and fuels allow for crews to safely engage, firefighters continue working to build line construction and limit the fire spread on private ownership to the south, utilizing aircraft to slow fire spread.

The Elbow Creek Fire was reported on Thursday and is burning on both sides of the Grande Ronde River and is on or threatening Umatilla National Forest lands, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest lands, Vale District Bureau of Land Management lands and Oregon Department of Forestry-protected lands. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Numerous resources are aiding in firefighting efforts, including landowners, private operators, and various federal and state resources (hand crews, dozers, multiple engines, and water tenders). The fire is currently being staffed by a Type 3 Northeast Oregon Interagency Management Team. The agencies will inbrief the Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3 Type 1 Incident Management Team led by Link Smith today at 5 p.m. at the Wallowa High School and the team is anticipated to take command of the fire tomorrow.

The conflagration request sent by Wallowa County Fire Defense Board Chief, Paul Karvoski, to the Governor’s Office has been approved and additional resources are en route to support structure protection work with suppression efforts. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is surging resources to assist the local fire agencies.

Wallowa County has updated evacuation information. Additional information regarding evacuations is available through the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 426-3131 or by monitoring the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook.

Closures are also in place surrounding the fire. Due to fire activity on both sides of the Grande Ronde River corridor, the river is closed at Minam State Park. Any rafters that arrive into the fire area will be safely evacuated in coordination with Wallowa County Search and Rescue. Due to extreme wildfire activity and the concern for the safety of the public the entirety of the Umatilla National Forest has been temporarily closed.

Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist throughout the week. Fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains at EXTREME.

Courtesy of ktvz.com

https://tinyurl.com/yfa3bmm8

Record-breaking temperatures are scorching America’s West Coast and parts of Canada amid what the National Weather Service is calling a “historic and unprecedented heat wave”—and the summer sizzle hasn’t even reached its peak yet, AccuWeather reports.

More than 20 million people across six states are under heat alerts from the NWS. Dozens of daily record-high temperatures were broken on Saturday in states ranging from Washington to California. Further north, the heat wave set a national record in Canada on Sunday: Lytton, a village in British Columbia, hit roughly 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46.1 degrees Celsius), beating the country’s previous all-time high of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) set in 1937, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Temperatures are expected to rise even higher on Sunday and into Monday in certain places, with “no relief in sight” this week for areas to the east of the Cascades, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington State, much of Idaho, and into western Montana, according to the NWS.

“After record-breaking heat was felt over the Pacific Northwest and Northern Great Basin on Saturday, even hotter temperatures are forecast today and Monday throughout the region,” it said in a Sunday bulletin. “High temperatures are forecast to soar 20-30+ degrees above average in Washington and Oregon, including highly populated areas west of the Cascade Mountains. Highs well into the triple digits will significantly increase the threat of heat related illnesses.”

In short, the Pacific Northwest is frying under a heat dome, which forms when high-pressure circulation in the atmosphere creates a sort of lid that stops hot air from escaping. A heat dome this intense is so rare, it’s the kind of event you would expect to experience once in 1,000 years, according to CBS meteorologist Jeff Berardelli. Another meteorologist, Scott Duncan, predicts that some of the hottest places on the planet will be in the Pacific Northwest this year.

Portland, Oregon, had its hottest day on record Saturday, with temperatures reaching 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 degrees Celsius), according to the NWS. That record didn’t last long, though: On Sunday, temperatures soared to a new high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius). The city set its previous all-time high of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 degrees Celsius) in 1965 and 1981.

On Saturday, the NWS said temperatures hit 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius), in Salem, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, each city’s monthly maximum temperature record for the month of June. Seattle, Washington, hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) that same day, a record for June. On Sunday, the Salem airport climbed to 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius), shattering an all-time record high for the site of 109 degrees Fahrenheit (42.8 degrees Celsius), according to the NWS.

Temperatures in Canada are expected to peak on Monday, reaching as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in British Columbia, the CBC reports. On Saturday, Fraser Valley broke 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) for the first time to date. Residents in the Pemberton Valley north of Vancouver have been ordered to evacuate as rising river levels caused by snowmelt amid all this unprecedented heat flood the area.

In much of the Pacific Northwest, even the morning lows will surpass the area’s average high temperatures, which just goes to show the “anomalous nature of this historic heatwave,” the NWS reported Saturday. The last time the region even came close to feeling this kind of heat was in July 2009, when temperatures lingered between 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) and 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41.1 degrees Celsius) for two to four days, according to the agency. Its hottest part of the year typically falls in late July, so the fact that we’re seeing all-time records fall when the summer’s barely started is not a good sign, to say the least.

The NWS advises those in areas experiencing unprecedented high temperatures to stay hydrated, stay inside as much as possible, and avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Soaring temperatures have battered the West Coast in recent weeks, drying up reservoirs, curtaining hydropower, and exacerbating the impacts of widespread droughts across the region.

As disastrous as this heat wave has been, it’s only the beginning. Thousands of temperature records have already been shattered this year, and experts predict the climate crisis will continue to increase the odds of heat and megadroughts this century, so this weekend’s records likely won’t stand for long.

Courtesy of gizmodo.com

https://tinyurl.com/2k2mw355

As many as seven places in Odisha have recorded temperature above 40 degree Celsius. on Monday.

Boudh recorded the highest temperature of 41 degree Celsius.

The places in Odisha which recorded temperatures of more than 40 degree Celsius are: Sonepur 40.8, Angul 40.7, Sambalpur 40.5, Sundargarh, Titlagarh and Malkangiri each at 40.0 degree Celsius.

Temperature was recorded at 39 degree Celsius in Bhubaneswar, whereas in Cuttack it was 38 degrees.

The MeT department said that due to excess water vapour in the atmosphere and high day time temperatures high humidity levels shall be experienced.

Courtesy of kalingatv.com

https://tinyurl.com/2byx67c9