The heat wave that is currently gripping the United States is expected to intensify this weekend, bringing with it record temperatures and risks for the population.
The sweltering heat – which has also caused hundreds of deaths in Europe – shows the threat that global warming poses to even the wealthiest countries.
“This week, 60 daily heat records have already been broken,” the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted on Thursday.
More than 43°C in places
“Other records should be set over the next week,” he added. In much of the southwestern United States, the thermometer rose above 38 degrees, climbing to over 43 degrees in places.
The weather service had warned Tuesday that 100 million Americans were under heat alerts, and “a significant part of the population” should remain so during the weekend.
More frequent phenomena
Scientists warn that heat waves like those suffocating the United States and Europe will become more frequent and more violent due to global warming.
Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his administration would redouble its efforts on the subject, but did not declare a “state of climate emergency”, a maneuver whose impact is not very clear but which could grant him additional political powers.
