Texas is being sweltered by a whopping heat wave that has plunged the state into a “heat dome.” As the hot air spreads across the Gulf coast, tens of millions of people are facing excessive heat warnings. Houston, the largest city in Texas, has hit a record high of 100F (38C) today, with officials predicting daily high temperatures in Austin will remain above 100F for the next several days. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) has reported that power use reached a record high of 80,828 megawatts on Tuesday evening, with peak demand expected to rise higher tomorrow as residents crank up their air conditioning.
According to Cori Iadonisi, a resident of Dallas, the heat is unbearable. “It’s just too hot here,” she said. The heat dome occurs when stationary high pressure with warm air combines with warmer than usual air in the Gulf of Mexico and heat from the sun nearly directly overhead, explained John Nielsen-Gammon, a climatologist and professor at Texas A&M’s College of Atmospheric Sciences.
As the heat wave continues to spread, experts warn of the dangers it poses to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and outdoor workers. Cecilia Sorensen, a physician and associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University medical center, said heat-related conditions are becoming a growing public health concern due to the warming climate. “This is also one of those examples where, if you are wealthy enough to be able to afford an air conditioner, you’re going to be safer, which is a huge climate health equity issue,” she noted.
Texas Suffocates Under Scorching Heat Wave, Grid Strains Under PressureThe National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) has reported that more than 46 million people from west Texas and southeastern New Mexico to the western Florida Panhandle are under heat alerts. The heat wave has also brought devastating storms to parts of the Gulf coast, leaving thousands without electricity.
The heat wave is not limited to Texas; the entire US south is being affected. In Oregon, the most populous county in the state has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen large fossil fuel companies, alleging that their combined carbon pollution was a substantial factor in causing and exacerbating record-breaking temperatures in the Pacific northwest that killed 69 people in 2021.
The heat dome is expected to bring more record highs and strain the power grid, making it a critical situation that requires immediate attention. As the heat wave continues to unfold, it is crucial to take necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy.