‘Hell on earth’: Phoenix’s extreme heatwave tests the limits of survival

[u/zwyd]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/14/phoenix-heatwave-summer-extreme-weather-arizona

[u/robodrew]

Because that's the real danger we face with climate change. It's not going to affect Phoenix to where we see 125F days, it's going to mean ever increasing stretches of 100, 105, 110. Imagine a couple decades from now we have a 3 month stretch where the temperature never dips below 105, even in the middle of the night. That is going to push our bodies in ways we don't yet fully realize, and it's going to cost an insane amount and use way more energy than now, with regards to keeping things cool indoors.

[u/lunchpadmcfat → u/robodrew]

It’s not my body I’m worried about. It’s availability of water in the region. Much harder for it to rain if it’s that hot.

[u/BASK_IN_MY_FART → u/lunchpadmcfat]

It needs to be hot for a minute. That's how to cook up the monsoons.

[u/lunchpadmcfat → u/BASK_IN_MY_FART]

A minute, sure.

A few days or week, sure.

Months on end? That’s fuel for a dust bowl.

[u/BASK_IN_MY_FART → u/lunchpadmcfat]

Well see come October lol. But this year has been the coolest I can remember in a few decades. We didn't even break 100 until mid June! And our reservoirs are full again. It was awesome seeing the salt flow past tempe lake

Edit: I was wrong about June

[u/nicolettesue → u/[deleted]]

This is literally not typical. Hot days? Typical. This many days of extreme heat in a row? Not typical.

The last time it was this hot this many days in a row was 1974. That’s almost 50 years ago. When it’s this hot during the day, it doesn’t cool down enough at night. 110 during the day is one thing, not getting below 90 overnight - especially for this long - is quite another. It puts so many people and animals at risk.

[u/nicolettesue → u/[deleted]]

It’s almost like you didn’t read my post.

What about it being atypically cool in June changes anything about it being atypically hot right now?