- Title: Pacific Northwest cities shatter heat records again, life grinds to a halt
- Date: 29th June 2021
- Summary: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES (JUNE 28, 2021) (REUTERS) DIGITAL SIGN SHOWING A TEMPERATURE OF 109 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT VARIOUS OF A HOMELESS MAN AND HIS DOG COOLING OFF UNDER A MIST SYSTEM AND SHADE STRUCTURE AT A COOLING-OFF STATION COOLER BOX LOADED WITH FREE DRINKS AND SNACKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PERSON WHO SET UP COOLING SYSTEM OUTSIDE HIS FRONT YARD, MARK ALDHAM, 34, SAYING: "It is super hot here. So my partner and I, we set up some shade that we have from Burning Man to help cool off our neighborhood and keep everyone safe." COOLER WITH COLD WATER SANITIZER BOTTLE ON TABLE
- Embargoed: 13th July 2021 09:44
- Keywords: NWS National Weather Service Oregon Seattle U.S. Pacific Northwest Washington state heat high-temperature records warnings
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Environment,Temperature,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA002EJGEUYV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The cities of Portland and Salem in Oregon and Seattle in Washington set new temperature records on Monday (June 28) as the Pacific Northwest baked under a heatwave that has shut down much of daily life for residents.
In Salem, Oregon's state capital, temperatures reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 degrees Celsius), the hottest since record-keeping began in the 1890s.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport set an all-time high temperature of 106 Fahrenheit, breaking the record set one day earlier.
Portland's airport temperature reached 115 on Monday, breaking the all-time high for the third day in a row. Before setting a record of 112 on Sunday (June 27) and 108 on Saturday (June 26), the previous mark of 107 had not been reached since 1981, the National Weather Service said.
"To put it in perspective, today will likely go down in history as the hottest day ever recorded for places such as Seattle, WA and Portland, OR," the National Weather Service said, predicting the heatwave could begin to ease on Tuesday (June 29).
The heat has been attributed to a dome of high atmospheric pressure over the upper U.S. Northwest and Canada, similar to conditions that punished California and southwestern states earlier this month.
Portland, known for rainy weather and sparse sunshine, was especially ill-prepared to handle the high temperatures. Stores sold out of air conditioning units and ice was hard to find.
Bars and restaurants closed because kitchen vents could not keep up with the rising temperatures, creating dangerous conditions for cooks.
In Seattle, Washington state's largest city, the mercury climbed on Sunday to an all-time high of 104 degrees F, surpassing a 2009 record of 103 degrees.
The state capital of Olympia likewise set a new benchmark high of 105 degrees, exceeding its 2009 record by 1 degree, according to the Weather Service.
The heatwave was expected to ease somewhat west of the Cascade range by Tuesday but persist through the week to the east of those mountains, it added.
Experts say extreme weather events such as the heatwaves that have descended on parts of the United States this year cannot always be linked directly to climate change.
But more unusual weather patterns could become more common amid rising global temperatures, weather service meteorologist Eric Schoening said in an interview this month.
(Production: Jason Redmond & Njuwa Maina) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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