How “La Niña” is causing this year’s extreme weather events
La Niña, the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, will trigger extreme weather events in 2024.
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There was no relief for residents of Phoenix, Arizona this summer: On Tuesday, the city recorded temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the 100th day in a row.
The previous record was set in 1993, when temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher for 76 consecutive days, the National Weather Service reported.
Phoenix is one of many cities battling extreme heat this week. Millions of Americans in southwest Oregon, California, Arizona and western Nevada are expecting extreme heat through Friday. Another major heat wave is pushing temperatures above 100 degrees, and records are expected in the West.
Highs of 46 degrees are expected in Palm Springs and Coachella Valley in California on Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported. In Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, temperatures could reach as high as 49 degrees.
The looming heat wave is not unusual this time of year in Southern California, Western Nevada and Southern Arizona, Heather Zehr, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, recently told USA TODAY.
“September is actually a pretty hot month overall because the months are so far southwest and the climate is so dry. … Average high temperatures usually reach them in late August and early September,” she said.
Here’s how Phoenix broke temperature records this summer:
Phoenix, Arizona breaks long-standing heat record
On May 27, temperatures in Phoenix reached 102 degrees. Since then, temperatures have risen to 100 degrees and above.
The average temperature in Phoenix this summer was 37.6 degrees, with an average high of 39.4 degrees and an average low of 31.5 degrees. The city experienced its hottest summer on record, the Washington Post reported. In addition to the record-breaking temperatures, the average summer temperature has risen 6 to 8 degrees since the late 1800s, the Post reported.
As of Aug. 31, there have been at least 177 confirmed heat-related deaths in Maricopa County this year. Another 436 deaths are currently under investigation as heat-related. Last year, 645 people died from heat-related causes, Maricopa County reported. About two-thirds of those deaths were people age 50 and older.
Heatwave leaves the southwest groaning; Temperatures could rise to 120 degrees
Heatwave forecast for Phoenix, AZ
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How extreme heat can affect your health
Experts say that while warm weather improves mental health—people go outside when the weather is nice and get more vitamin D—extreme heat can have the opposite effect.
“Heat has been shown to cause irritability, restlessness, anxiety and cognitive impairment,” Susan Albers-Bowling, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, told USA TODAY in June. “Research also shows that during heat waves, suicide rates, domestic violence, drug use and crime all increase significantly.”
Albers-Bowling said the high temperatures can disrupt sleep and affect the effects of certain medications. Extreme heat can also cause hormonal changes, including a rise in the stress hormone cortisol, and impair alertness and cognition, she said.
Contributors: Christopher Cann and Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY
