Last week, it was a difficult period for many Seattleites.
Well, Seattle is well-known for being a temperate city, mainly because of its sufficient amount of rain.
Previous temperature records were obliterated across the Pacific Northwest region, as a record of 108 degrees was recorded in Seattle, and a record high of 112 degrees was recorded in Portland in Oregon.
Many described the heat as “never-before-seen” and “unheard of”.
The scorching hot weather and sweltering heat literally ensnared the necks of many Americans living in that region, as health experts are now saying, high temperatures and scorching hot weather, which were unprecedented, may have been the culprits of a sudden rise in the number of deaths in the region.
Despite having read many tweets from the National Weather Service in Seattle, many Americans living in the region are still none the wiser: In reality, what led to the infamously high temperatures across the region?
Justin Pullin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said warm winds coming from the Cascades, better known as the Cascade Range, are getting trapped under high atmospheric pressure in the area, creating what many are saying a heat-dome effect. That is believed to have led to the scorching hot weather that is now affecting the Pacific Northwest, and other U.S. states close by.
“Plenty of days in the 100s and 110s, and it’s normal down there for them this time of year. We’re basically translating that weather pattern and bringing it over the Northwest, an area that is not used to that.” Said Pullin.
As the heat wave is forecast to move forward, places like Phoenix and Las Vegas are slated to be affected by the heat wave, according to Pullin. People living in places like Phoenix should batten down the hatches by making sure their air conditioners are working properly.
And here is some good news for Seattleites and people living in the Pacific Northwest: The region is expected to cool down by this weekend.
“Even by our normal standards we're still going to be almost 10 degrees above normal come Wednesday. Temperatures (Tuesday) will cool down — and I use that term very loosely.” Pullin said.
While people living in the Pacific Northwest will soon be unshackled and do whatever they want under normal temperatures, some Seattleites are concerned as to whether the heat wave is a warning about climate change.
Suffice it to say, the heat wave does have something to do with climate change. That’s why against the backdrop of global warming, environmentalists are now calling on the U.S. government and people across the globe to take bold steps to push back against climate change, thereby averting the recurrence of another deadly heat wave.
(Seattle Center Fountain: Seattleites considered the fountain a veritable paradise last week as many of them spent the whole day cooling themselves off there)
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