Tonight, a crippling heat presses on, fueling fires in the western US and baking residents in Northern California in triple digit temperatures for an eighth day in a row.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Drinking a lot of Gatorade, water, staying hydrated.
Emily Ikeda (00:13):
Tampa, El Paso and Portland all threatening record highs today and a staggering 109 degrees in Tucson.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
We stepped out of the apartment and we were starting to feel it.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
Yeah, took minutes.
Emily Ikeda (00:24):
That sweltering heat isn’t unique to the US. New highs set in Canada and Peru this week. And Beijing reported nine straight days of temperatures topping 95 degrees, all teeing up July 4th to have the hottest global average temperature of 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit since record keeping began, according to preliminary data. Climate scientists blame a dangerous combination of human caused climate change, and the onset of El Nino. A natural warming of the Central Pacific Ocean typically occurring every two to seven years that rises into the atmosphere and generally makes the planet hotter.
Gavin Schmidt (00:58):
It’s almost certain that next year will be the globally warmest year on record.
Emily Ikeda (01:01):
Gavin Schmidt is a climatologist with NASA.
Gavin Schmidt (01:04):
We’re pushing our ecosystems and our climate into a different place than it’s been for the entirety of human civilization, and that is alarming.
Emily Ikeda (01:16):
And while nearly 30 million Americans are facing heat alerts, tonight, others are cleaning up from a deluge of wind, hail and rain that continues to dampen the holiday week. Denver already surpassing its annual rain total, and the Twin Cities getting nature’s version of a fireworks display. Millions in the Midwest now bracing for another bout of severe weather, continuing an unrelenting start to summer.
Lester Holt (01:47):
And Emily Ikeda joining us now. I see calm and sunny skies behind you. What does that mean in terms of air travelers? Are they having an easier time now?
Emily Ikeda (01:56):
Well, Lester, it’s not quite the travel chaos we witnessed over the weekend, but still some 5,000 flights have been delayed today, another 400 canceled. Just as many of July fourth’s record number of travelers begin taking to the skies and roadways to return from the holiday.