Heat breaks records in more than 30 US cities
By Joelnix Boada, Footprint Zero
This year, summer started earlier than usual in June, causing heat waves that have already reached record levels in both North America and Europe. In the United States, cities such as Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, and Chandler, Arizona, reached temperatures of 105°F (40.6°C).
Meanwhile, in South Florida, where temperatures as high as 100.4°F (38°C) have been recorded, local media have reported fish kills along the coast.
María José (MJ) Algarra, environmentalist and CEO of Clean This Beach Up, stated in an interview with Huella Zero that fish kills off the coast of South Florida are now common during the summers.
However, specialists are still determining whether these deaths are caused specifically by extreme heat or by a disease called “Spinning Fish Disease,” a neurological condition whose cause is still being investigated.
“Unfortunately, every summer we have to be very vigilant here, as residents, environmentalists, and scientists, in case we see anything unusual in the bay, such as dead fish or fish that are lacking oxygen and acting abnormally, so to speak. This season, we’re already starting to receive reports of fish that are lacking oxygen or swimming upside down,” Algarra commented. She noted that the largest fish kill in Miami-Dade County was recorded in 2020, when scientists estimated around 27,000 dead fish in Biscayne Bay.
“This number left us all cold, since removing fish and animals from the bay—which also contribute to the reduction of oxygen in the water—not only caused the smell of dead fish, but also worsened the kill by further reducing oxygen and generating pollutants that affect both other fish and humans,” she explained.
The environmentalist warned that if anyone sees dead fish on the beach, especially in South Florida, they are advised to take a photo with the date and location, and report it to 311 so the local government can send specialized personnel to assess the situation.
Record Heat Figures
According to the June climate summary prepared by Climate Central, an average temperature anomaly of 1.5°F was recorded in 192 cities across the United States last month. The report noted that 33 cities across the country experienced one of the ten warmest monthly temperatures on record during June. It also revealed that most of the cities studied have seen an increase in heat since 1970.
“Elevated Climate Change Index (CSI) values were observed in the Southwest, South, Southeast, Northeast, and the Ohio Valley/Upper Midwest. Sixty-eight cities experienced at least one week with CSI values greater than or equal to 2, indicating a strong influence of climate change,” the report reads.
According to the study, the Ohio Valley, which encompasses states such as West Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky, experienced the most atypical temperatures, averaging 2.18°F above normal. In contrast, the Western region had the smallest deviation from average temperatures, recording anomalies of only 0.37°F.
Heat spreads to other parts of the world
Meanwhile, in Europe, these high temperatures caused the icy terrain of the French Alps to reach 89.6°F, while in Spain a national record was set on Saturday, June 28, at 114.8°F, and in Portugal, on Sunday, June 29, at 115.8°F.
The recent heat waves in Canada, the northeastern United States, and northern Europe all share one characteristic: they are occurring well earlier than usual for this time of year.
