The heat wave that has blanketed a vast swath of the U.S. since early this month is now entering its third week, and it is intensifying in the Midwest before taking aim at the South and Southeast for the rest of the week.
The big picture: Combined with sultry levels of humidity at times, air temperatures in the low triple-digits will bring dangerous heat to cities including Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; New Orleans; Houston and Dallas. Heat advisories were in effect for 42 million residents on Tuesday afternoon, from Michigan to New Orleans.
The Department of the Interior on Tuesday announced nearly $26 million in funds for water and energy efficiency grants in Western states. The grants, paid for under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will go toward conserving local water supplies amid the severe drought in the West.
Why it matters: Most of the West is mired in drought conditions, particularly the Southwest, where a megadrought dating back more than two decades is the most severe such event in at least 1,200 years.
The Biden administration announced a new temporary pay raise for federal wildland firefighters Tuesday, significantly bumping their wages over the next two fiscal years.
Why it matters: The wage increase comes as the Forest Service is struggling to hire firefighters in parts of the country, especially Western states, amid an already abnormally active fire season.
Two extraordinary heat waves sent temperatures soaring into uncharted territory in Europe and the U.S. prior to the summer solstice, setting new benchmarks for the month of June in several European countries.
Why it matters: The early season extreme heat is a development meteorologists are calling "unsettling" and "unprecedented." These events are a clear warning sign of global warming's growing influence on day-to-day weather.
Extreme heat has caused hundreds of deaths among the U.S. homeless population, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Heat waves are an acute public health threat, since heat ranks as the top weather-related killer in the U.S. on average each year, per Axios' Andrew Freedman. Vulnerable populations without access to cooling are particularly at risk.
The Biden administration reached a historic new agreement Saturday that will give five Native American tribes more say over day-to-day management of the Bears Ears National Monument.
Why it matters: The co-management deal represents a new chapter in the relationship between tribes and the federal government, which has often been tense.
Extreme heat currently roasting the Upper Midwest and northern Plains is forecast to shift south and southeastward during the week. Temperature records will be in jeopardy in cities such as Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, and St. Louis during mid-to-late week.
Why it matters: Heat waves are an acute public health threat, since heat ranks as the top weather-related killer in the U.S. on average each year.
Germany has to cut natural gas consumption and increase the burning of coal as the country moves away from its dependence on Russia for its energy supplies, Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced Sunday.
Driving the news: The Green Party lawmaker in Germany's center-left ruling coalition said in a statement that German gas storage facilities were currently about 57% full and the situation was going to be "really tight in winter" if the government didn't take the action.
A massive wildfire at the Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson, Arizona, was threatening telescopes in the area overnight.
Why it matters: The Contreras Fire that's at 40% containment destroyed four non-scientific structures last week and firefighters were battling flames near the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope and and another one that's under construction on Sunday, per statements from the observatory.
By the numbers: Some 19,000 flights have been canceled or delayed since Thursday, while over 4,200 U.S. flights were delayed and 900 canceled on Sunday alone as Americans marked Father's Day amid airline staffing shortages and extreme weather that upended schedules, per USA Today.
/2022/06/20/1655737366050.gif?w=3840)
