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Tag: heat wave

  • Extreme Heat Halts 2014 Australian Open

    Extreme Heat Halts 2014 Australian Open

    While extreme cold temperatures blasted many parts of the United States this winter, Australia is seeing record-breaking high temperatures as many regions of the “land down under” reach above 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). With these temperatures being so high, it does a take toll on the tennis players who play outside in this year’s Australian Open, held in Melbourne, Australia.

    On day four of the Australian Open, all outdoor tennis matches were halted as the event’s Extreme Heat Policy went into affect just prior to 2 P.M. on Thursday, January 16th. According to The Weather Channel, the temperature reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit at this time, making playing conditions unbearable for the tennis players who were currently competing outside at the time.

    Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald reports that tournament referee Wayne McEwen enacted the heat policy during the day, deeming the intolerable heat conditions unsafe for tennis players. An announcement that the games were halted was then immediately announced on the Australian Open’s official Twitter account.

    The Weather Channel also states that this is the first time that outside tennis play has been halted since 2009. Games later resumed at the Australian Open after 6 P.M. as the temperatures started to cool down in the evening.

    Not only did the Australian Open encounter the extreme heat wave, but later encountered strong thunder storms. Many Twitter users at the event caught some pictures of the crazy weather pattern and shared them with the rest of the world. An example of the lightning can be seen below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • China Heat Wave Causes Deaths, Ruins Crops

    China Heat Wave Causes Deaths, Ruins Crops

    A record-breaking heat wave has sent people across China running for their local pool and even caves as they try to escape the dangerously high temperatures. Temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit have plagued numerous cities for the past week. The heat has been blamed for dozens of human deaths, as well as numerous dead fish found in lakes, and severe damage to crops in the south and east of the country, where the heat wave has been the worst.

    The highest temperature yet recorded has been in the city of Fenghua, in eastern China. Fenghua saw a high of 108.9 degrees Fahrenheit on July 24th. Other cities have suffered similar record highs. Shanghai’s temperature set a record with 105 degrees on July 26th. The city of Hangzhou also hit 108 degrees, and has seen temperatures top 104 for six of the past seven days. Temperatures in Shanghai were 95 degrees or higher for 25 total days in July.

    Of course, any time there’s a heat wave here in America, you’re sure to hear someone say that it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Well, in China it seems that that might actually be the case. A picture circulating widely in Chinese media shows a young boy cooking shrimp and an egg on a manhole cover. It’s not the sidewalk, but it’s still pretty amazing:

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    The record-high temperatures have also reportedly resulted in eggs (the fertilized kind, not the ones you cook) hatching without the help of incubators. There have also been reports of glass cracking in the heat, cars catching fire, and even a billboard spontaneously combusting. Authorities believe the heat may have shorted out the billboard’s wiring, starting the fire.

    According to Chinese media, the heat wave makes this China’s hottest summer in 140 years. The China Meteorological Association has declared a level 2 weather emergency, a level usually only applied to typhoons, floods, or similar weather phenomena. Authorities have even been attempting to seed clouds in some of the hardest hit areas, hoping to generate rain.

    Unfortunately, the end of the scorching weather appears to be some time off yet. Chinese forecasters are predicting that the heat won’t end until the middle of August at the earliest.

  • Death Valley Temps Hit Records During Heat Wave

    Summer has officially begun, and in some places across the U.S. temperatures are reaching record highs. In the hottest areas of the country, temperatures are even reaching dangerous levels.

    This weekend, Death Valley National Park issued a warning that the temperature measured in Death Valley on Saturday may have reached 127 degrees Fahrenheit . Today, the National Park Service announced that a temperature of 129 degrees was recorded by an official weather station on Sunday, June 30. The temperature broke the previous June 30 record of 128 degrees measured in 1994.

    Death Valley National Park, through its Facebook page, warned tourists that such temperatures could potentially lead to heat stroke or death. A few of their tips for enduring the heat include staying inside cars (which should be in thoroughly checked before a trip to Death Valley), avoiding hiking, and, of course, drinking plenty of water. The park recommends at leas 4 quarts of water per day per person.

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    Death Valley National Park1 day ago

    Death Valley NP is experiencing excessive heat this weekend. These extreme temperatures can have very serious consequences – including hospitalization and potentially death. It is because of this the park stresses with visitors the need to be prepared. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are very serious conditions. • Limit your time outdoors—do most of your sightseeing from inside the car. • Drink lots of water—4 quarts per day per person. Carry plenty of extra drinking water in your car. Avoid alcoholic & caffeinated beverages. • Be sure your car is in good working order. In very warm temperatures, stick to paved roads. • Heat & Dehydration: If you feel dizzy, nauseous or get a headache, get out of the sun immediately and drink plenty of water. Dampen clothing to lower your body temperature. Don’t get too much sun: Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to dissipate heat. • Hiking: Temperatures are expected to be high even at higher elevations this weekend—we strongly recommend you do not hike in these extreme temperatures. • In Case of Emergency: Call 911. Cell phones may not work in many parts of the park. Do not depend on them. • Slow down: Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities. • Dress for summer: Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. • Eat light: Foods, like meat and other proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss. (nm) Photograph of yesterday’s temperature: 6/29/2013

    Powered by socialditto(image)  131 likes ·  19 comments

    The park service also recently demonstrated the excessive heat by releasing a video of an egg being fried using nothing but the ambient heat in the valley. Though an early attempt was thwarted by the dry air, a covered egg fried up just fine:

  • Power Outages Leave Millions Without Electricity

    Power outages caused by a series of extremely powerful storms on Friday has left more than two million people without electricity. This, of course, wouldn’t necessarily be a huge problem were it not for the recent wave of overwhelming heat that has plague the States over the past week. As many people attempt to cope with the relentless temperatures, officials from various power companies have stated it could take several days before service is completely restored.

    These outages couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune moment. As of Monday morning, several of the areas currently without power are still under heat advisories. These temperatures are thought to have caused at least 16 deaths over the past week. To add insult to injury, more storms are expected in southern Mid-Atlantic region and north-central United States, which could seriously dampen efforts to clean up the mess and restore power to those who need it most.

    Although efforts are currently being made to get utilities back in proper working order, some companies have stated that customers may not see a restoration of their service until Friday. This has prompted several folks to make a mad dash for air conditioned locations, such as malls, movie theaters, and other public spots. However, this only serves as temporary relief; once these places close for business, these people will be forced to return to their powerless homes.

    “Hot and hotter will continue to be the story from the Plains to the Atlantic Coast the next few days,” the National Weather Service stated. “The widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories have certainly decreased in coverage, but temperatures will remain well above average across a large portion of the U.S.”

    According to CNN, the number of people without power include approximately 250,000 in Maryland, 500,000 in Virginia, 450,000 in Ohio, 650,000 in West Virginia, and 225,000 in Washington, D.C. Since each household is considered one customer, it’s thought that the number of folks suffering from this overpowering heat is well into the millions.

  • Heat Wave: Hundreds of Heat Records Broken

    On the east coast it’s getting close to quitting time, and if you haven’t stepped outside this afternoon, prepare for a warm surprise. And by warm, I mean ludicrously hot. People often say “it’s like an oven out there” when the weather gets toasty, but this time it isn’t an exaggeration. It feels like you are baking internally if you stay outside for longer than 15 minutes.

    This heat wave is taking its toll all across America, and so far 1,011 records have been broken according to the Associated Press. Today, from the Rockies to the Great Plains, thermometers are matching Tuesday, when 251 records were broken. According to the Weather Channel, Denver is 105 (It has got to be hell for the firefighters in the rockies this week). Sidney, Neraska – 111. Ten mid-western cities were hotter than Death valley today (108).

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    These area are under a Heat alert from the National Weather Service. Don’t expect things to change much in the next few days. The heat wave isn’t expected to let up until Monday or Tuesday, and even then, they will still be in the mid to upper nineties for most of this area.

    Today the wave has spread to the east and south-east, where we have temperatures of 105 in Atlanta, 102 in Louisville, and 100 in Washington DC. The whole damn country is baking right now, and it isn’t pleasant.

    A climate scientist at the University of Victoria Andrew Weaver alluded to the fact that we are seeing the precursors of global warming, saying that the heat wave “is bad now by our current definition of bad. Our definition of bad changes. What we see now will be far more common in the years ahead.”

    [image: deviant art]