The Pacific Northwest is bracing for a major heat wave just as the Northeastern part of the United States will soon see a slight break in extreme temperatures. In Washington state and Oregon temperatures are forecast to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) in some places this week as climate change fuels longer hot spells in a region where such events were historically uncommon. “To have five-day stretches or a weeklong stretch above 90 degrees is very, very rare for the Pacific Northwest,” said Vivek Shandas, professor of climate adaptation at Portland State University. The scorching weather comes as the opposite side of the country saw forecasts for slight cooling early this week after a stretch of days where temperatures topped 100 F (37.8 C) in multiple places. Philadelphia hit 99 degrees (37 Celsius) Sunday before even factoring in humidity. Newark, New Jersey, saw its fifth consecutive day of 100 degrees or higher, the longest such streak since records began in 1931. Boston also hit 100 degrees, surpassing the previous daily record high of 98 degrees set in 1933. At least two heat-related deaths have been reported in the Northeast. While such high temperatures are sometimes seen in the Northeast, local officials and residents in the Northwest have been scrambling to adjust to longer, hotter heat waves following last summer’s deadly “heat dome.” In late June and early July 2021, about 800 people died across Oregon, Washington and British Columbia during the days-long extreme heat event, which saw record temperatures soar to 116 degrees F (46.7 C) in Portland and smash heat records in cities and towns across the region. Many of those who died were elderly and lived alone. While temperatures aren’t expected to reach those highs next week, the number of consecutive hot days has officials on guard. Portland, Oregon, could top 100 degrees F (37.8 C) on Tuesday and wide swaths of western Oregon and Washington are predicted to be well above historic averages throughout the week. “It’s nothing we haven’t seen before in terms of the magnitude, but the duration of the event is fairly unusual,” said John Bumgardner, a meteorologist at the NWS office in Portland. “We’re trying to message that people who don’t have AC might have a harder time near the end of the event.” said Bumgardner, adding there may be an “accumulation” of sleep deprivation if it doesn’t cool off sufficiently at night. In Oregon, Portland officials are opening cooling centers in public buildings and installing misting stations in parks. Garbage trucks may start their rounds as early as 4 a.m. this week to allow drivers to work in the early morning, reducing exposure to heat and health risks. And at least a dozen libraries are extending hours, staying open until 8 p.m. to allow people more time to cool off. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, is opening four overnight emergency cooling shelters starting Tuesday where vulnerable populations will be able to spend the night. Officials hope outreach efforts will help those facing the greatest risk from heat, including people who are older, people who live alone, those with disabilities, low-income households without air conditioning and the unhoused. “Unfortunately there’s this intersection of our climate crisis and our housing emergency,” said Jonna Papefthimiou, Chief Resilience Officer for the Portland Bureau of Emergency […]

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