An “extreme heat wave” affects tens of millions of Americans this weekend, with record temperatures in the central and northeast and a wildfire in California.

“Extreme heat will continue across the central United States and spread into the Northeast this weekend, with record temperatures expected throughout the region today (Saturday) and Sunday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said. .

Higher temperatures will spur the threat of “violent weather events” like hail, winds and tornadoes to the upper Midwest, according to the NWS.

The suffocating heatwave, showing the threat posed by global warming, was felt especially in Washington, with up to 37 or 38 degrees Celsius. New York hovered around 35 degrees.

Temperatures could also reach 43 degrees in parts of western Utah, southern Arizona and the northeast, according to the NWS.

Boston, whose mayor Michelle Wu declared a “heat state of emergency,” with municipal cooling zones open and swimming pools open longer, could see 37 degrees on Sunday.

Heat increases the risk of fires. To the west, a wildfire dubbed “Oak” broke out Friday in Mariposa County, near Yosemite National Park.

Encompassing more than 2,500 hectares, the Oak Fire destroyed 10 properties and damaged five. It is not yet under control, forestry authorities said Saturday morning.

This year there have been several heat waves around the world, such as in July in Western Europe and in India in March-April. Their increase is a clear sign of climate change, according to scientists.

In June 2021, an unusually intense “heat dome” wreaked havoc across the West Coast of the United States and Canada, killing more than 500 people and sparking massive wildfires, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees.

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