March Scorcher Signals Extreme Weather in the Southwest
AP photo/Nic Coury, file
A scorching heat wave is smashing March records across the US Southwest, marking a dangerous sign of the escalating impacts of climate change. Scientists warn that extreme weather events, increasingly occurring in unusual seasons and locations, are putting more lives at risk, according to the AP. In Arizona, two communities recorded temperatures of 112 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, setting the highest March readings ever recorded in the United States. Southern California also reached the same temperatures in two locations, signaling an early and intense heat surge.
“This is climate change unfolding in real time,” says Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria. “Events that once seemed unimaginable are now recurring with alarming frequency.” Researchers from World Weather Attribution reported on Friday that such extreme March heat would have been nearly impossible without human-driven climate change. Experts consulted by the AP categorize this heat wave alongside other extreme events, including the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, the 2022 floods in Pakistan, and devastating hurricanes like Helene, Harvey, and Sandy.
Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show that the area of the United States affected by extreme weather has doubled over the past five years compared with two decades ago. Their Climate Extremes Index, which tracks heat waves, cold snaps, heavy rainfall, and droughts, shows the US is now setting 77% more high-temperature records than in the 1970s and 19% more than the 2010s, according to an AP analysis. Scientists emphasize that climate-driven extremes are not limited to record heat but also include deadly hurricanes, prolonged droughts, and heavy downpours.
Wildfires, fueled by rising temperatures and dry conditions, continue to compound the problem. Last year, the Palisades and Eaton fires became the costliest weather-related disasters in the US, says Climate Central meteorologist Adam Smith. “Climate change is driving more frequent and more severe extreme events, breaking record after record,” adds Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London.
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