Headline

Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Shatters Records

 Pacific Northwest, US

Climate Signal: Climate change is leading to more frequent, hotter, and longer-lasting heat waves. Check out our Heat page for more information.

Article Excerpt:

Michael Wehner, a climate scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, told Axios that it is unusual to have another significant, record-breaking heat event so soon, in virtually the same region, as the June 2021 event.

"I realize that the two events are completely independent, but it is still a surprise," he said via email.
He cited published research showing that human-caused climate change has made the high temperatures during this and many other heat waves at least 3°F to 5°F hotter.
A slew of other studies show climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, more frequent and longer lasting.
A climate attribution study on the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave found that it would have been "virtually impossible" to have occurred without climate change.