By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 26 minutes ago, Updated 18 minutes ago
People stand under umbrellas while waiting for a bus during a heat wave in Miami, Florida, June 26, 2023. GIORGIO VIERA / AFP
A heat wave is hitting the southern United States hard, especially Texas and Louisiana, with conditions “dangerous“Which should last several days, warned this Tuesday, June 27 the authorities.
With summer just beginning, millions of Americans are under extreme heat alerts, with temperatures often topping 40°C. The episode also affects part of New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Florida.
“Drink a lot of water”
«Drink plenty of water, stay in rooms with air conditioning, shade, and check on your family and neighbors“, said the United States Weather Services (NWS), calling the conditions “dangerously hot“. They also advised wearing light clothing and rescheduling strenuous activities at the start or end of the day. “Anyone suffering from heat should be moved to a cool, shady place. Sunstroke is an emergency!“, they added.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, a heat alert was issued from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local. In Houston, the country’s fourth-largest city with 2.3 million people, cooling centers have been opened for frail people to take refuge in. The agency in charge of managing most of the electricity grid in Texas, Ercot, warned that demand was higher due to heat (for example to run air conditioning systems), but said expect to be able to cope. These extreme temperatures have already been going on for days and are expected to continue through the weekend.
Read alsoIn France, heat and heat waves kill as much as road accidents
The small Texas town of Del Rio, on the border with Mexico, broke its heat record for eight consecutive days, reaching around 43°C on Sunday, according to local weather services. At the end of last week, in the south of the state, Big Bend National Park announced the death of two people who went hiking when it was 48°C. A 14-year-old lost consciousness and died, along with his father, in a car accident as he left to seek help.
Global warming is responsible for the multiplication and intensification of heat waves around the world, scientists have been saying for years.
2023-06-27 17:25:53
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