Extreme heatwave hits US East Coast and Europe with record temperatures

A severe heatwave is gripping the US East Coast and parts of Europe, with record temperatures and dangerous conditions reported. In the United States, more than 160 million people across 30 states are under heat alerts as a heat dome traps warm air over the eastern seaboard. Temperatures have reached over 46 degrees Celsius in some areas, and New York City experienced its hottest day in over a decade. The nation's capital, Washington DC, is among the top 1% of the hottest places on earth, comparable to the Gobi Desert, according to the Washington Post. The extreme heat is coinciding with the 4th of July holiday and the 250th anniversary of American independence, forcing some outdoor celebrations to be pushed later in the day. Cooling centres have been opened in government facilities, including libraries and recreation centres, which would not normally be open on the holiday. Power outages have been reported in New York City, affecting thousands. Storms are forecast to follow the sweltering weekend, bringing a thundery breakdown and a drop in temperatures.

In Europe, the heatwave has also been severe. France recorded 2,000 more deaths than expected during last month's heatwave, and Belgium saw 39% more deaths than normal. Portugal's government has declared a state of alert across the entire mainland, with wildfire risks at their highest in 25 years. Temperatures are forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some regions, with nighttime temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius over a period of up to 10 days. Overnight, 1,230 firefighters were battling half a dozen active fires in Portugal. In France, 1,500 people have been evacuated from campsites along the Mediterranean coast as thousands of firefighters fight wildfires. The UK also experienced record-breaking temperatures last week.

Climate experts have linked the extreme weather to a pattern of longer, more severe, and more frequent heatwaves driven by climate change. Hannah Handel, a five-time delegate to the UN Climate Change Conference, noted that the sustained pattern of dangerous heat is occurring in an El Nino year but is also fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels. She warned that the world is breaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set in the Paris Agreement, though she stressed that solutions must still be implemented to avoid even worse outcomes.

In Mexico, the England-Mexico football match in Mexico City faces a threat of thunderstorms during the evening, which could cause delays or interruptions. The risk of storms is expected to diminish as the game progresses.