Aug 22, 2020 - Energy & Climate

Heat is fueling this summer's extreme weather

Axios

A man trying to save a home in Vacaville, Calif., is consoled by a firefighter Wednesday. Photo: Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images

"America is roasting," the WashPost reports on A1, noting the historically high temperatures it calls a "deadly force of nature."

Driving the news: "At least 140 Western weather stations notched record highs in the past 10 days as a thermometer in California’s Death Valley hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit, one of the highest temperatures measured on Earth."

Bay Area fires rank in the top 5 in California history, the L.A. Times reports.

California is reporting 560 wildfires.
100,000 people are under evacuation orders.

Zoom out: Four wildfires are burning through forest land in Colorado as half the state sees severe to extreme drought conditions, per the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Atlantic Ocean is experiencing temperatures approximately two to three degrees warmer than average across the Eastern Seaboard.

The bottom line: "Scientists say there is no doubt that climate change is driving the extreme weather, increasing the threats to property and life," The Post writes.

“Yeah, it’s summer, and summer is hot, but this is different,” the National Weather Service tweeted. “These are dangerous conditions.”

Go deeper: California wildfires scorch 771,000 in one week

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Heat is fueling this summer's extreme weather

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