2022 heat waves
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This page documents notable heat waves worldwide in 2022. Many heat waves were worsened by climate change and its effects. Notably, heat waves across Europe, which also affected the United Kingdom, started in June and continued throughout July into August. They caused continent-wide wildfires, with thousands dying due to heat-related causes. Other heat waves have been felt throughout the year, including in the Americas, China, Australia and the Indian subcontinent.
January
- January 10–16: The Southern Cone had a severe heatwave. Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and certain parts of Brazil experienced extreme temperatures, with Argentina suffering the worse impacts.[1] According to WMO it affected water, energy supply, and agriculture.[2] Buenos Aires reached 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) and over 700,000 people lost power there.[3] Parts of the country reached 45 °C (113 °F).[4][1]
- January 14: In Australia, in the town of Onslow, the temperature hit 50.7 °C (123.3 °F). If verified, the temperature would be tied as the highest in the Southern Hemisphere.[5]
- January 18–23: In Perth, the capital city of Western Australia the city experienced 6 consecutive days with temperatures in excess of 40 °C (104 °F). Perth had eleven days of temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F) during the 2021-2022 summer, topping the previous record of seven days recorded in 2016-2017.[6]
February
- February 8–13: Multiple cities in central and southern California, including San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego experienced a record-breaking heat wave. San Francisco recorded 26 °C (78 °F) on February 10, an all-time record for the city for meteorological winter. Palm Springs recorded 34 °C (93 °F) on February 11.[7]
March–April
- Starting in late March India and Pakistan began experiencing one of the hottest March–April periods on record.[8] At least 90 people were killed by the heat wave; 25 in India and 65 in Pakistan.[9]
- In early March, a strong heatwave affected Northern Australia, and in particular North Queensland, with the city of Townsville equalling or beating the previous March minimum temperature record 5 times in one week.
May
- A major heat wave affecting the United States started in May. Three residents in a senior building died on May 14 in Chicago due to the intense heat, because the air conditioning would not turn on.[10] On May 19 in Memphis, as temperatures soared to near record highs of 33 °C (91 °F), a toddler died after being left in a car.[11] On May 21, intense heat surged into the Mid-Atlantic, causing a near record hot Preakness Stakes, with Baltimore hitting 35 °C (95 °F), with temperatures of 35 °C (95 °F) also being felt in Philadelphia, 33 °C (92 °F) in Washington DC, and 32 °C (90 °F) in New York City.[12]
June
- A historic heat wave affected the Midwestern United States and Southeastern United States in the second week of June 2022. In Phoenix, a daily record was tied, with temperatures of 46 °C (114 °F).[13] In North Platte, Nebraska, a record temperature of 42 °C (108 °F) was recorded.[14] In Death Valley, a man died when trying to refuel gas as temperatures climbed to 51 °C (123 °F).[15] Temperatures in Memphis soared to 37 °C (98 °F), with a heat index of 43 °C (110 °F). This forced over 125 million people under excessive heat warnings.[16] Following a brief respite June 18, the heat wave is expected to return into the following days.[17] In Odessa, Texas, thousands of residents were left without water as temperatures reached 41 °C (105 °F).[18] In San Antonio, every day in June 2022 was at least as hot as 38 °C (100 °F).[19][non-primary source needed] In Chicago, Midway Airport recorded three days with high temperatures of at least 38 °C (100 °F) between June 14 and June 21.[20]
- Heat waves affecting Europe began in June. The Spanish heat wave began on 12 June.
- On 29 June 2022, Japan saw the worst heatwave in 150 years.[21]
July
- China has suffered several heat waves, starting 5 July. According to the China Meteorological Administration, Turpan is expected to reach 50 °C (122 °F) between 25-31 July.[22]
- A heat wave beginning on 8 July in the United Kingdom saw the first red extreme heat warning to ever be issued in the country, causing it to be declared a national emergency on 15 July.[23] An unconfirmed report from the Met Office on 19 July indicated a new record temperature for the United Kingdom, 40.30 °C (104.54 °F). This is the first time the temperature exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) in the United Kingdom.[24]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2022) |
 | This section may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (July 2022) |
- An intense, fatal heat swept through the United States in July. More than 100 million people were put on heat alerts, and over 85% of the country had temperatures at or above 32 °C (90 °F). A man died in Dallas County, Texas, and a heat emergency was triggered in Washington DC due to temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F), on the weekend of July 23-24. This extreme heat severely intensified drought conditions. Arkansas and Missouri went from 1% and 2% of their states from seeing severe drought or worse, to a quarter and a third. Temperatures in Abilene, Texas on July 20 hit 43 °C (110 °F), breaking a daily record. Austin, Texas also saw a daily high record of 40 °C (104 °F). Daily record high low temperature records were set, like in Needles, California, where the temperature never dipped below 35 °C (95 °F) on July 20. Record warm low temperatures were also set in Galveston (30 °C (86 °F)), Witchita Falls (29 °C (84 °F)), Houston (27 °C (81 °F)) and Laredo (27 °C (81 °F)), on July 20.[25] The heat wave was responsible for 18 other deaths, including 12 in Maricopa County, Arizona and one at Badlands National Park.[26] Witchita Falls hit 46 °C (115 °F) on July 20, a record for July, while on that day Oklahoma also reached that mark. Joe Biden is using the heat wave to show how serious of an issue climate change is.[27]
August
- Intense heat continued into August. In early August, a heat wave forced 80 million Americans under heat alerts. Albany, New York set a new daily record high of 99 °F (37 °C) on August 4. Boston set a new daily record high on August 8, at 98 °F (37 °C). On August 9, Philadelphia got an excessive heat warning due to heat indexes over 105 °F (41 °C) for two consecutive hours. Due to this, the New York Metropolitan Area had a top 5 hottest August, and Islip, New York and Newark, New Jersey had their warmest on record. Further west, Missoula, Montana saw their hottest August on record. August, like July, was the warmest for daily minimums. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire had their warmest August on record.
September
- On September 1, Death Valley hit 53 °C (127 °F) a global record September. On September 4, a monthly record was set in Casper, Wyoming at 38 °C (100 °F). Sacramento hit a record high on September 5, of 47 °C (116 °F). San Francisco also had a daily record that day of 36 °C (97 °F). A monthly record high of Salt Lake City was set as well that day, at 39 °C (103 °F). California's power grid nearly broke. There were two deaths- one each in Arizona and Idaho.Cite error: A
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See also
References
- ^ a b Bustamante, Juan; Lo Bianco, Miguel (14 January 2022). "Argentine towns sizzle amid 'hottest days in history'". Reuters. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ WMO [@wmo] (12 January 2022). "#Argentina's #heatwave is impacting health, energy and water supplies, agriculture (and more). It reached 41.1°C in the capital Buenos Aires at 1600 yesterday, per @SMN_Argentina. Córdoba recorded temperature of 42.5°C. #Climatechange increases intensity and frequency of heatwaves" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Cappucci, Matthew (12 January 2022). "Buenos Aires hits 106 degrees amid severe South American heat wave". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "Power grid fails as Argentina hit by record-breaking heatwave". The Independent. 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Australia hits 123 degrees, tying highest temperature on record in Southern Hemisphere". The Washington Post. 13 January 2022.
- ^ Paul Karp (23 January 2022). "Perth swelters through record six consecutive days over 40C temperatures". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ Travis, Courtney (11 February 2022). "Winter heat wave sets all-time February record highs in California cities". AccuWeather. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ Forister, Peter (26 April 2022). "Heatwave in India breaks records, still worsening". earthsky.org. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "Severe heat wave kills dozens in India and Pakistan in a "snapshot" of what's to come from climate change, expert says". cbsnews.com.
- ^ Ward, Joe (16 May 2022). "After 3 Die At Rogers Park Senior Building That Didn't Turn On Its Air Conditioning, Alderwoman Calls For Investigation". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Jacob, Gallant (19 May 2022). "Police: Toddler dies of heat exhaustion after left in hot car at day care". Action News 5. No. May 19, 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Johnson-Levine, Andrew (22 May 2022). "Intense heat scorches much of the East Coast, with more still to come". AccuWeather. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ O'Brien, Brendan (14 June 2022). "Heatwave scorches central U.S., people urged to stay indoors". Reuters. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Wolfe, Elizabeth (14 June 2022). "Across the US, a day of extreme weather prompts heat warnings, severe flooding and power outages for hundreds of thousands". CNN. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Rosenthal, Zachary (16 June 2022). "Man found dead in Death Valley following record-breaking heat". AccuWeather. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Freedman, Andrew (13 June 2022). "Record-breaking heat wave envelops nearly 130 million in U.S." Axios. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Chinchar, Allison (18 June 2022). "Get ready for triple-digit temperatures again, as massive heat dome engulfs the US". CNN. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Loy, Wyatt (16 June 2022). "No water. High heat. Residents cope with unimaginable circumstances". AccuWeather. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "AccuWeather". Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ @NWSChicago (21 June 2022). "[3 PM CDT 6/21] #Chicago Midway Airport has officially reached 100° today for the 3rd time over the past week (June 14, 15, and today/6/21). O'Hare is currently 98°, which is the warmest reading of the day there so far" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Japan swelters in worst heatwave ever recorded". BBC News. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Woo, Ryan (22 July 2022). "Heatwaves to menace China as almanac's 'big heat' day looms". Reuters. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Heatwave: National emergency declared after UK's first red extreme heat warning". BBC News. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Record breaking temperatures for the UK". Met Office. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ Elamroussi, Aya; Andone, Dakin; Vera, Amir (21 July 2022). "Dangerously high temperatures will last through the weekend with millions of Americans set to experience triple-digit heat". CNN. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Sabes, Adam (23 July 2022). "Heat wave responsible for multiple deaths across US". Fox News. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Cappucci, Matthew; Kornfield, Meryl (20 July 2022). "Extreme heat prompts alerts in 28 states as Texas, Oklahoma hit 115". Washington Post. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
29.^Lehoullier,Jack (6 September 2022) California and the West broil in record-setting heat wave - NPR. "Retrieved 13 September 2022."