Unusually early heat wave in Pacific Northwest tests records

National Public Radio
May 14, 2023
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND — An early heat wave took hold Saturday in parts of the Pacific Northwest, with temperatures nearing or breaking records in some areas and heat advisories in place through Monday. The historically temperate region has grappled with scorching summer temperatures and unprecedented wildfires fueled by climate change in recent years. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory extending from Saturday through Monday for much of the western parts of both Oregon and Washington state. It said the temperatures could raise the risk of heat-related illness. …Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following the deadly ” heat dome ” weather phenomenon in 2021 that prompted record temperatures and deaths across the region. …”This is the first significant event … and it is early for us,” said Chris Voss, the county’s director of emergency management. 

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