Heatwave In Canada And Northwestern US Is So Extreme That It Is Melting Roads And Homes
Canada and Northwestern US is witnessing an unprecedented and dangerous heatwave, forcing schools and COVID-19 testing centers to close while community cooling centres have opened.
Canada and Northwestern US is witnessing an unprecedented and dangerous heatwave, forcing schools and COVID-19 testing centres to close while community cooling centres have opened.
Lytton in British Columbia broke the record for Canada's all-time high on Monday, with a temperature of 47.5 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit), just one day after the village set the previous record at 116 degrees, TRT World reported.
Less than 24 hours later, Lytton has again broken the all-time Canadian high temperature record by reaching 47.5C at 4pm. This is a preliminary number as heating may continue for another hour. The official summary of all broken records will be posted later! #bcstorm #Lytton
¡ª ECCC Weather British Columbia (@ECCCWeatherBC) June 28, 2021
While in the Northwest US cities of Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, temperatures reached levels not seen since record-keeping began in the 1940s: 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) in Portland and 42 Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) in Seattle, according to the US's National Weather Service.
The blistering heat exposed a region with infrastructure not designed for it, hinting at the greater costs of climate change to come.
In Portland, light rail and streetcar service was suspended as power cables melted and as the heat strained the power grid, ABC News reported.
State Route 544 milepost 7 near Everson, Wa is currently closed. The asphalt roadway is buckling and unsafe for travel. WSDOT is advised and detours are currently being set up.
¡ª Trooper Rocky Oliphant (@wspd7pio) June 28, 2021
BL pic.twitter.com/5Yb9UYzbDc
On one of the Interstate routes in Tukwila, Washington, heat-related expansion of the roadway caused a panel of pavement to pop loose.
In Canada too, the freak heatwave has caused the melting of the local infrastructure.
Environment Canada issued alerts for British Columbia, Alberta, and parts of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories, saying the "prolonged, dangerous and historic heatwave will persist through this week."
Reuters
The National Weather Service (NWS)
issued a similar warning, saying Monday the "dangerous," "oppressive" and "unprecedented" heat would stick around in the region until midweek.
"Residents are urged to stay in air-conditioned buildings, avoid strenuous outdoor activities, drink plenty of water, and check on family members/neighbours," it said.
