An enormous, nation-wide heat wave will hit the southern half of America by Saturday, if not earlier, forecasters warned on Tuesday.
Almost all parts of the southern U.S., from North Carolina down through Florida, all the way over to California, could easily experience temperatures well into the 100F range by Saturday, according to a forecast shared by the National Weather Service. Amateur meteorologist Colin McCarthy warned his followers that a “severe marine heatwave” was emerging off the coast of Florida on Friday, which clearly developed throughout the weekend.
The “very prolonged, severe heatwave” could last for more than a week, McCarthy told followers on Monday, sharing a graphic of the southwest portion of the country. The sudden warm spell also comes in harsh contrast to the frozen temperatures and excessive snowfall seen in parts of California throughout the start of 2023, and could further push the “big melt” into overdrive.
A very prolonged, severe heatwave will begin across the Southwest later this week that could last 7+ days.
Death Valley could hit 130°F Sunday, while Vegas is forecast to hit 117°F, tying its all-time record. Phoenix may set its record for the longest streak at or above 110°F. pic.twitter.com/85PA9jCanG
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 10, 2023
Excessive heat is a serious threat to humans of all ages, but particularly the old and the young. While drinking water and staying cool are important, the heat also poses risks to our energy grid. Not everyone can afford a generator and not everyone wants to go and hang out at their local church or youth center to cool off. So, what can you do to prepare?
The obvious answer is to have a lot of drinking water stocked up at home. And no, those canned sugary trash drinks don’t count as water. They barely even count as drinking a liquid, so please don’t think that your 48 cans of the stuff will do any good in the long-term. Given their sugar content, they’ll probably make you feel really rough. (RELATED: South Africa Faces 16-Hour Blackouts This Winter Due To Corruption And Mismanagement. It Could Happen Here)
But the other major threat posed by this excessive heat, particularly off the coast of Florida, is hurricanes. Ocean waters have to be above 79F for a hurricane to form, according to NWS. Right now, buoys are reporting temperatures as high as 95F near the Everglades National Park.
While no hurricanes appear to be evolving right now, that could literally change overnight. Having medical supplies, food stocks, and other essentials at home will be very important should this heatwave continue. And please do not rely on anyone else to help you should things get really bad. Just keep checking your local forecast, and don’t act like an idiot. It’s just that simple.
Oh, and keep your pets inside.