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As Ockham's Razor says, the simplest answer is usually the right one. The simplest explanation for the heat wave is not climate change.Was last week’s record heatwave in the Pacific Northwest caused by a climate-altering buildup of human greenhouse gases? The once-august Scientific American claimed it was, declaring, “Unprecedented Heat Wave in Pacific Northwest Driven by Climate Change.” Other outlets like the Washington Post echoed this narrative. It’s helpful to remember climate change commentators live by two rules: First, everything is linked to climate change. Second, when in doubt, see rule number one. This simple, two-rule test shows up in...

Dozens of people have died in Canada amid an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed temperature records. Police in the Vancouver area have responded to more than 230 sudden deaths within 4 days (Friday-Monday), about 100 more than the average for a four-day period. As of 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, officers had responded to 20 sudden death calls that day alone. Most were elderly or had underlying health conditions, with heat often a contributing factor. Canada broke its temperature record for a third straight day on Tuesday – 49.6°C (121.3°F) in Lytton, British Columbia. The US north-west has also seen record highs...

Canada has recorded the highest temperature in its history after a village in British Columbia reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. Temperatures in Lytton, B.C., surpassed the previous national record of 113 F (45 C) set on July 5, 1937, in Saskatchewan, according to Environment Canada. “Did we read this correctly… you’re saying all-time maximum temperature for all 10 provinces for anytime of the year? That is phenomenal!” tweeted the National Weather Service of Missoula, Montana. More records are expected to be broken Monday, said Environment Canada meteorologist Derek Lee, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Oregon's largest city broke its all-time heat record on Saturday. It could beat the new mark on Sunday. Forecasters say many Pacific Northwest communities may sweat through the hottest days in their histories as temperatures soar during a heat wave that has sent residents scrambling for relief. Stores sold out of portable air conditioners and fans, hospitals canceled outdoor vaccination clinics, cities opened cooling centers, baseball teams canceled or moved up weekend games, and utilities braced for possible power outages. Portland, Oregon, reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 degrees Celsius) Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The previous heat...

A heat wave of unprecedented magnitude and duration is forecast to grip the Pacific Northwest this weekend and bring dangerously high temperatures that could make life miserable into next week for a region where air conditioning is not a fixture in most households. Triple-digit temperatures are forecast throughout parts of Oregon and Washington, which includes the Interstate 5 corridor. Both Portland, Oregon, which could see the mercury crack the 110-degree mark, and Seattle, which is expected to top 100, could experience temperatures around 30 to 40 degrees above normal and challenge daily record highs. Following a cooler stretch of weather,...

The nearly simultaneous shutdown of four gigantic power plants in Texas — capable of powering almost 1 million homes — drove the region to the brink of yet another energy crisis this past week as temperatures soared, according to data analyzed by Bloomberg. All told, generators across the second-largest U.S. state were either down for repairs or running at reduced capacity when triple-digit heat was baking Texas, according to data compiled by Wood Mackenzie Ltd.'s Genscape unit. But the biggest impacts came from just a handful of facilities: a Vistra Corp.-owned 1.15-megawatt nuclear reactor, and three other giant facilities owned...

On Tuesday, Death Valley, California, climbed to 124 degrees making it not only the hottest spot in the United States but also likely one of the hottest, if not the hottest, locations in the world. And Wednesday, was forecast to only get hotter, with Death Valley forecast to soar to a blistering 128 degrees. With temperatures rising to 10 to 30 degrees above average, dozens of records were demolished Tuesday across Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Nevada, Arizona and Southern California. Casper, Wyoming, broke its previous record high of 93 by a full 9 degrees. Many other Western cities saw similar,...

A heatwave already punishing parts of the U.S. Southwest on Monday was expected to move into California this week, prompting the forecasters to warn of health and fire dangers. A high-pressure ridge that built over southwestern deserts over the past few days is responsible for the unusually blistering heat this early in the year, National Weather Service meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski said. “Today last day of seasonable weather in California,” Rogacheski said. California saw balmy weather on Monday, with temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s Fahrenheit (30-35°C), but forecasts called for warming on Tuesday, spiking into the triple digits...

Declaring his authority over the weather and his ability to command it, Texas-based prosperity preacher and televangelist Kenneth Copeland called forth a “supernatural heatwave” last Thursday to kill the new coronavirus in New York City and “the rest of the world where it’s needed.” Speaking on the first day of his Virtual Victory Campaign on Facebook Live, the leader of Kenneth Copeland Ministries called the weather “God’s weapon” and revealed that “we learned … 45 years ago that we have command, authority over the weather.” He also shared a number of stories of how he commanded tornadoes and other weather...

If you're trying to beat the heat, there's always air conditioners, ice cream, and ceiling fans. Sometimes, animals have to get a bit creative. A video surfaced this weekend of a moose in Anchorage, Alaska just chilling next to an oscillating sprinkler. According to the video's description the moose was "sprinkler hopping from yard to yard" before finally settling down, staying hydrated and getting in a nice soak. Alaska is in the midst of a record heat wave, with temperatures hitting the 90s earlier this week. Not only is this a 30-year high, but normal temperatures this time of year...

FULL TITLE: Deadly heatwave to leave DC as hot as DEATH VALLEY this weekend as 200M brace for temperatures in excess of 100F sparking NYC to declare an emergency and roads to buckle A brutal heatwave is unfurling across two-thirds of the nation, blighting the east with temperatures that will make Washington DC feel as hot as Death Valley, and roast much of the country with 100-degree heat. The crushing mass of hot air is likely to blanket the region, home to a third of the U.S. population, through Sunday with little overnight relief, said meteorologist David Roth of the...

As heat expands across the northeastern United States, highs near the century mark will be common, with some locations experiencing dangerously high AccuWeather ReelFeel® Temperatures well above 100 F -- but not before what's left of Barry sweeps through with localized flooding downpours. While temperatures may be briefly held back in areas that receive a thorough drenching for a day or so, intense July sunshine, combined with a northward retreat of the jet stream will allow an impressive heat wave to build even for midsummer standards.

The recent heatwave in the UK and Ireland has uncovered ancient archaeological sites that, in some cases, have never been seen before. One such discovery is a henge, or circular enclosure, located 1km from the famous Irish megalithic passage tomb, Newgrange. The henge was discovered by historian Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland, who was flying his drone over the Boyne Valley when he spotted a circular shape in the field. It is estimated that this henge was built some 5000 years ago. ... snip ... These new discoveries include a Roman fortlet near Magor, which emerged in ripening crops, and...

BOSTON, Mass. (CBS Local) – With many states dealing with record-high temperatures and massive heat waves, many people are probably sick of summer already. A new study says that your brain may hate the heat more than you do. Researchers at Harvard University have discovered that a person’s brain works 13 percent slower when it has to operate in extreme heat. According to their report in PLOS Medicine, scientists studied 44 college students living in Boston during a 2016 heat wave. That July heat wave was reportedly one of the hottest in the city’s history. 22 of the students lived...

The Australian city of Sydney has experienced its hottest weather in 79 years with temperatures in the region hitting as high as 47.3C (117F). In Penrith, west of Sydney, residents sweltered as the town bore the brunt of the heat on Sunday. Severe fire warnings were issued for the greater Sydney area and total fire bans were put in place across the city. Sunday's temperatures fell short of the scorching heat to hit the area in 1939, when the mercury reached 47.8C. The sweltering temperatures reached in Penrith were confirmed by the Bureau of Meteorology. ABC reported that one charity,...

China activates bomb shelters Intelligence sources suspect reopening to public is part of strategic deception Posted: June 28, 2005 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com China's decision to open up massive bomb shelters to the public, ostensibly to provide a respite from summer heat, has U.S. intelligence analysts concerned about a possible strategic deception by Beijing, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. The government made a high-profile public announcement, carried by the official Xinhua news agency, this week that bomb shelters in central Chongqing would be opened to the public to allow residents to cool off during a heat wave in...

(Reuters) - The California Independent System Operator, or ISO, which operates the state's power grid, issued a Flex Alert for Monday for Southern California from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT because of high temperatures expected in the region.

Iran is buckling under the pressure of a massive heatwave passing across the Middle East, with temperatures soaring to nearly 70°C. Scorching heat levels of 50°C have already paralyzed nearby Iraq, where officials were forced to call a four-day public holiday because it was too hot to work. But the word “hot” has taken on an entirely new meaning in Iran’s city of Bandar Mahshahr, where it was claimed that the city’s heat index, or “feels-like temperature”, was among the highest ever recorded. The heat index was recorded by a group of astonished weather experts, who predict the country could...

It was so hot Wednesday that City Hall issued a 24-hour heat advisory warning people to stay indoors — but officials also cautioned against blasting the A/C. New Yorkers should keep their air conditioners at 78 degrees to help reduce the risk of blackouts, Mayor de Blasio said. “If the air conditioning is set at 78 degrees, people are safe and they will be able to deal with the hot temperatures,” he said. A 75-degree setting uses 18% more electricity, and a 72-degree setting uses 39% more, he said. The city’s fragile power grid was already showing signs of strain...

It was a shocking scene at one of the city’s most visited landmarks. CBS2 political reporter Marcia Kramer obtained exclusive images of what some call the latest public insult of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s New York City. Pictures were snapped of a homeless man taking a bath in the fountain at Columbus Circle, a popular city landmark that is now the bathtub of a bum. The man who took the photo called the incident simply appalling.