06-30-2021, 11:14 AM
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The summer of 2021 is already shaping up to be one for the record books, with much of the American west gripped by historic heatwaves, extreme drought, and the threat of large wildfires that have already begun to burn across the region. The crisis has also extended into Canada, with temperatures in British Columbia soaring to 118F (46.6C) on Monday, shattering records for the area where few are set up for such intense heat.
Experts and officials fear that the catastrophic conditions, fueled by the climate crisis, will only get worse through the coming months.
This week an unprecedented and dangerous heatwave scorched the Pacific north-west, obliterating records set just the day before.
Seattle hit 108F (42C) by evening – well above Sunday’s all-time high of 104F (40C). Portland, Oregon, reached 115F (46C) after hitting new records of 108F (42C) on Saturday and 112F (44C) on Sunday.
“This is the beginning of a permanent emergency,” said Washington’s governor, Jay Inslee, during an interview on MSNBC. “We have to tackle the source of this problem, which is climate change.”
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