A burning 'heat dome' has bound the westward and stayed in California, imposing record-breaking temperatures across the state and testing the sweat of the whole republic.
A daily record of high temperature toasted several cities throughout the Bay Area last Labor day and will continue according to the forecast of the National Weather Service.
Gilroy city recorded 112 degrees, breaking a regular record of 106 logged two years ago. While the blazing temperature in Livermore hit 116, breaking a daily tally of 108 degrees documented from 1950.
The city of Pasadena, in southern California, reached 103 degrees last weekend, topping the log in 1938, while Burbank hit 110 degrees.
A federal meteorologist forecast that the city of Fresno will peak at 114 degrees on Tuesday -- higher than the all-time high humidity by three degrees in September.
National Weather Service in Hanford lead meteorologist Bill South said that " It's record-setting," and added that there is a possibility that the temperature will heighten and hit 110 degrees. He describes the heat waves as "rare and intense."
In a tweet, weather expert Colin McCarthy said that the current high humidity is one of the worst in the Bay Area. He added that the temperature rising to 110+ degrees can be fatal.
Heat Dome Explained
Based on the San Francisco Chronicle report, the heat dome is formed when an area with high pressure stays in a specific area, and the sun is heating it on clear days.
Those areas will get hotter continually inside the high-pressure zone, which stops clouds from forming. Therefore high humidity will be worse; this heat dome will stay as it takes or be blown away by breezing winds like the jet stream.
The 'heat dome' zone may be strong enough to overcome the impacts of cooler sea breeze, which usually will lead to heatwaves in more temperate regions like San Francisco.
Extreme humidity is not healthy for every living being. High temperatures can lead people to get heatstroke, adding to hot climates responsible for the high death rate worldwide due to climate conditions.
Staying out of high heat can be another problem; according to the president and chief executive officer of California Independent System, Elliot Mainzer, air conditioning usage in upcoming weeks can outpace California's energy demand.
California residents were advised to maintain aircon temperatures above 78 degrees Fahrenheit and not to charge their e-cars to prevent strain on the power grid.
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Hot Temperature is Common, But Burning is Not
The current heat wave setting, burning September, is not unusual in California. High humidity builds and moves west from Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, except in cities near the coast, temperatures ascend to 100 degrees.
Grassland and forests dry out from extreme heat leading to catastrophic forest fires. On Monday, a forest fire started in the hills of Hemet city in Riverside County that grew up to 500 acres, according to the California Fire.
Meteorologists and scientists said that more frequent and intense heat waves arise around the planet, an indication of the effects of global warming, supported by consistent studies.
With the temperature records over the past century, the increase of heatwaves is evident, with the highest frequency in the 1930s.
University of Colorado Boulder Professor of environmental science Roger Pielke Jr. said that climate change is real and important, and people should move aggressively.
As a defense against the burning heat, several cities in California opened cooling centers to cool down their body temperature, particularly those with 3-digit temperatures.
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