VANCOUVER/PORTLAND: A heatwave that smashed all-time high temperature records in western Canada and the U.S. Northwest has left a rising death toll in its wake as officials brace for more sizzling weather and the threat of wildfires.
The worst of the heat had passed by Wednesday, but the state of Oregon reported 63 deaths linked to the heatwave. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, reported 45 of those deaths since Friday, with the county Medical Examiner citing hyperthermia as the preliminary cause.
By comparison all of Oregon had only 12 deaths from hyperthermia from 2017 to 2019, the statement said. Across the state, hospitals reported a surge of hundreds of visits in recent days due to heat-related illness, the Oregon Health Authority said.
In British Columbia, at least 486 sudden deaths were reported over five days, nearly three times the usual number that would occur in the province over that period, the B.C. Coroners Service said Wednesday.
"This was a true health crisis that has underscored how deadly an extreme heat wave can be," Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines said in the statement. "As our summers continue to get warmer, I suspect we will face this kind of event again."
The heat dome, a weather phenomenon trapping heat and blocking other weather systems from moving in, weakened as it moved east, but was still intense enough to set records from Alberta to Manitoba, said David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, a government agency.
"In some of these places, their (temperature) records are being annihilated," Phillips said. "It really is spectacular, unprecedented for us."
It was unclear what triggered the dome, but climate change looks to be a contributor, given the heatwave's duration and extremes, Phillips said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paused to remember the dead during remarks in Ottawa on Wednesday and expressed concern over the fire threat.
"We've been seeing more and more of this type of extreme weather event in the past years," Trudeau said. "So realistically, we know that this heatwave won't be the last."
In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said climate change was driving "a dangerous confluence of extreme heat and prolonged drought," warning that the United States was behind in preparing for what could be a record number of forest fires this year.
SMASHING RECORDS
Lytton, a town in central British Columbia, this week broke Canada's all-time hottest temperature record three times. It stands at 49.6 degrees Celsius (121.28 degrees Fahrenheit) as of Tuesday. The previous high in Canada, known for brutally cold winters, was 45C, set in Saskatchewan in 1937.
In the U.S. Northwest, temperatures in Washington and Oregon soared well above 100F (38C) over the weekend. Portland set all-time highs several days in a row including 116F (47C) on Sunday.
In Washington state, where media also reported a surge in heat-related hospitalizations, Chelan County east of Seattle topped out at 119F (48C) on Tuesday.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency due to "imminent threat of wildfires" while the U.S. National Weather Service in Portland issued a red-flag warning for parts of the state, saying wind conditions could spread fire quickly.
The Portland Fire Department banned use of fireworks for the Fourth of July weekend, when Americans celebrate Independence Day.
FIRE AND MELTING ICE POSE RISKS
Most of Alberta and large parts of British Columbia and Saskatchewan are at extreme risk of wildfires, according to Natural Resources Canada's fire weather map.
"All the ingredients are there. It's a powder keg just looking for a spark," said Mike Flannigan, professor of wildland fire at University of Alberta.
But the Chilcotin region, roughly 600 km (370 miles) north of Vancouver, was on flood warning due to the "unprecedented" amount of snow melting at "extraordinary" rates, according to a government release.
"These are the types of issues that are going to be confronted more and more over the next few years," said Adam Rysanek, assistant professor of environmental systems at the University of British Columbia.
Reuters
Thu Jul 01 2021
People sleep at a cooling shelter set up during an unprecedented heat wave in Portland, Oregon. REUTERSpic
Suruhanjaya Eropah saman Hungary atas dakwaan pelanggaran hak asasi
Budapest gagal hilangkan kebimbangan mengenai undang-undang baharu Hungary yang bertujuan mengehadkan pembiayaan asing bagi kempen politik.
PM Pakistan gembira atas perbincangan produktif dengan PM Malaysia
Bidang-bidang utama itu termasuk perdagangan, IT, tenaga, pertanian, eksport daging halal, pelancongan, pendidikan dan pertahanan.
Rwanda catat 7 lagi kes virus Marburg dan satu lagi kematian
Rwanda mencatatkan tujuh kes baharu penyakit virus Marburg dan satu lagi kematian.
Menurut angka terkini yang dikeluarkan lewat Rabu Kementerian Kesihatan Rwanda,
jumlah keseluruhan jangkitan virus Marburg sejak wabak bermula kini sebanyak 36 kes, dengan 11 kematian dilaporkan setakat ini.
Menurut angka terkini yang dikeluarkan lewat Rabu Kementerian Kesihatan Rwanda,
jumlah keseluruhan jangkitan virus Marburg sejak wabak bermula kini sebanyak 36 kes, dengan 11 kematian dilaporkan setakat ini.
Lebih 140 sekolah UNRWA diserang sejak 7 Oktober
Lebih 140 sekolah UNRWA diserang sejak 7 Oktober dalam keadaan dimana penduduk Gaza berlindung di bawah naungan PBB.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Pesuruhjaya Agung Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dalam satu hantaran di X.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Pesuruhjaya Agung Agensi Bantuan dan Kerja Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu untuk Pelarian Palestin (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini dalam satu hantaran di X.
28 petugas dilapor maut dalam tempoh 24 jam lalu di Lubnan
28 petugas kesihatan dilaporkan terbunuh dalam tempoh 24 jam lalu di Lubnan.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Ketua Pengarah Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pada Khamis.
Perkara itu dimaklumkan Ketua Pengarah Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pada Khamis.
UNIFIL kekal pada posisi walaupun didesak berundur
Pasukan pengaman PBB di selatan Lubnan terus bertahan pada kedudukan mereka, di bawah mandat UNSC, walaupun diarah Israel untuk berundur.
G7 desak pemain serantau di Asia Barat bertindak cermat dalam krisis
Pemimpin Kumpulan Tujuh (G7) mengulangi kebimbangan mereka terhadap krisis di Asia Barat dan menyeru pemain serantau supaya bertindak dengan bertanggungjawab serta berhemah.
Mereka turut menegaskan sokongan penuh terhadap keselamatan Israel.
Mereka turut menegaskan sokongan penuh terhadap keselamatan Israel.
AS sokong operasi Israel di Lubnan meski risiko meluaskan konflik
Pentadbiran Joe Biden menyatakan bahawa adalah wajar untuk Israel meneruskan serangan darat dan udara terhadap Hezbollah buat masa ini, menurut jurucakap Jabatan Negara Amerika Syarikat, Matthew Miller.
Namun, beliau mengakui risiko operasi di Lubnan mungkin melangkaui matlamat semasa Israel.
Namun, beliau mengakui risiko operasi di Lubnan mungkin melangkaui matlamat semasa Israel.
Shamsul Iskandar dakwa kesepakatan parti dalam PN kian longgar
Shamsul Iskandar berkata, perpecahan dalaman PN itu dapat diukur melalui prestasi mereka pada PRK DUN Nenggiri dan DUN Mahkota.
Politik stabil, dasar kerajaan tarik minat syarikat global melabur di Malaysia - Gobind
Menurut Menteri Digital Gobind Singh Deo, pada masa ini terdapat banyak perbincangan, tidak hanya antara syarikat-syarikat di negara serantau malah dunia berhubung perkara itu.
Perak, Kedah, Perlis dijangka negeri paling panas
Malaysia tidak akan berdepan dengan cuaca panas melampau seperti yang pernah berlaku pada tahun 1998 dengan suhu yang tertinggi berada pada paras 40 Darjah Celsius.
Hujan hanya tambah satu peratus air dalam empangan Melaka - Idris
Pengepaman air dari Sungai Gerisik di Muar ke empangan Melaka akan diteruskan bagi menampung keperluan para penduduk.
Jerebu: Pelabuhan Klang cecah tahap "Sangat tidak sihat"
Bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) di kawasan Pelabuhan Klang berada di tahap 'Sangat tidak sihat' yang mencecah 229 pada jam 10 malam.
Jerebu: Pelabuhan Klang cecah tahap "berbahaya"
Bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) di kawasan Pelabuhan Klang berada di tahap berbahaya yang mencecah 317 pada jam 4 petang.
SYABAS belum terima arahan laksana catuan peringkat ketiga
Tiada sebarang perubahan akan dilakukan pada pelan catuan air peringkat kedua yang bermula Ahad lalu berikutan pengurangan pelepasan air mentah.
Jerebu: Hanya Nilai dan Banting catat IPU tidak sihat
Hanya tinggal dua bandar sahaja yang mencatatkan bacaan IPU 'Tidak Sihat' iaitu Nilai dan Banting yang merekodkan bacaan 102.
Jerebu: IPU tidak sihat di seluruh Selangor
Setakat pukul 8 pagi ini, Pelabuhan Kelang merekodkan bacaan 132, diikuti Banting (133), Shah Alam (126), Petaling Jaya (127) dan Kuala Selangor (108).
SYABAS: Senarai kawasan terbabit catuan air
Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor menyenaraikan kawasan terbabit pelan catuan bekalan air di Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat dan Sepang bermula 27 Feb hingga 31 Mac ini.
UNDIAN: Berapa jumlah air yang cukup?
Berapakah jumlah minima air untuk sehari yang anda perlukan pada waktu darurat? Berikan pendapat anda di dalam undian berikut.
Pembenihan awan: Johor tunggu keputusan SPAN
Keputusan permohonan daripada Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN) itu dijangka akan diketahui minggu ini.