Extreme heat hitting much of U.S., floods threaten Hawaii
Unusual March heat has pushed temperatures into record territory in parts of the West.
A burst of unusual March heat is hitting the United States this week and into next, busting previous monthly heat records by wide margins.
Temperatures in the West remain far above what’s typical for March, a sign the early season heat is not letting up. Compared with the average highs for March between 1991 and 2020, temperatures across some parts of Oklahoma, Nebraska, northern Texas, and South Dakota are reaching at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
The record-shattering heat would be “virtually impossible” without the effects of climate change, a group of international climate scientists at World Weather Attribution said in a report Friday. The burning of fuels like oil, gas, and coal releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which go into the atmosphere and heat the planet.
Many records have already been broken, in some cases by huge margins. California and Arizona have seen daily highs surpass 100 degrees F in March, a major break from the norm, which is typically at least 30 degrees F lower this month.
Those highs have not been verified with National Weather Service, which usually happens after heat events, but the trend becomes clear in reviewing initial temperature readings in dozens of U.S. cities.
Looking ahead, the highest temperatures will likely be in Southern California, where the daily maximum temperatures have climbed as high as 108 degrees F in Palm Springs on Friday. The previous record for March was 104 degrees F in 1966.
But the record-breaking heat won’t be contained to just two states, nor the extremes to only places that reach triple digits. Roughly a quarter of March heat records at 400 weather stations across the United States may be tied or broken this month, based on an Associated Press analysis of weather data managed by regional climate centers.
While super high temperatures get the most attention, 90 degrees F in a part of the country not used to such heat can have a big impact. And the heat won’t be easing up for a while. The forecast from the National Weather Service shows how clusters of potentially record-breaking temperatures are concentrated in the West, with the hottest conditions centered in Southwestern states such as Arizona, long accustomed to scorching desert heat, but usually not until summer months.
When this heat wave ends, there likely won’t be much respite.
April, May, and June are likely to be hotter than normal almost everywhere, according to long-term predictions from the National Weather Service. The only places where forecasters predict a more typical season are the Northeast and areas near the Great Lakes, in the northern part of the country.
Forecasters say Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico — already the nation’s hottest region — are most likely to see an even more sizzling spring than is typical.
Floods lead to evacuations in Hawaii
As Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials are urging people in hard-hit areas to “LEAVE NOW.” The warning early Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago. Still more rain was expected during the weekend, officials said.
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning early Saturday with light to moderate showers expected to turn heavy in some places.
Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, people’s homes, and a Maui hospital in Kula.
“This is going to have a very serious consequence for us as a state,” Green said at a news conference.
Most of the state was under a flood watch, with Haleiwa and Waialua in northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service.
Green said his chief of staff spoke to the White House and received assurances the islands would have federal support.
No deaths were reported and no one was unaccounted for. More than 200 people have been rescued, officials said. About 10 people were taken to a hospital with hypothermia, he said.
Crews searched by air and by water for people who had been stranded — efforts that were hampered by people flying personal drones to get images of the flooding, said Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for Honolulu.
The National Guard and Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults who had been attending a spring break youth camp at a retreat on Oahu’s west coast called Our Lady of Kea’au, according to city and camp officials. The camp is on high ground but authorities didn’t want to leave them there, the mayor said.
Green said the flooding was the state’s most serious since 2004 floods in Manoa inundated homes and a University of Hawaii library.
Officials blamed some of the devastation on the sheer amount of rain that fell in a short amount of time on saturated land. Parts of Oahu received 8 to 12 inches of rain overnight. Kaala, the island’s highest peak, got nearly 16 inches in the past day, the National Weather Service said.
More rain was expected: Blangiardi said 6 to 8 inches of rain was forecast to fall on Oahu in the next two to three days.
Winter storm systems known as “Kona lows,” which feature southerly or southwesterly winds that bring in moisture-laden air, were responsible for the deluges in the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.