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Heat waves roast U.S., shatter records in Europe, northern Africa as deadly wildfires erupt

12 August 2021
Dan Ackermann

Extreme heat and wildfires are plaguing the U.S. and Europe, along with northern Africa. Thursday marks the peak of the latest heat wave in the Mid-Atlantic states, with Washington, D.C. likely to reach or eclipse 100°F Thursday, with a heat index closer to 105 or 110°F.

Why it matters: Heat waves and wildfires are two clear manifestations of the growing risks and impacts of global warming, a conclusion reinforced by the authoritative U.N. IPCC's report published Monday.

Details: The Pacific Northwest will see its second outbreak of scorching heat and dry weather this summer. Although temperatures won't approach the all-time records of late June into early July, when Portland, Ore., hit 116°F, and as many as 600 people died from heat-related illness, they will be up to 20°F above average for this time of year.

  • In Portland, the forecast high on Thursday is 99°F followed by 100°F on Friday.
  • Extreme heat will also affect the fire zones in northern California, where the Dixie Fire, California's second-largest on record, continues to rage. That blaze has destroyed at least 1,000 structures, including at least 500 homes.
  • Heat and drought are also leading to dangerous, large fires in Montana, among other states, and British Columbia.
  • Heat warnings are in effect for the urban corridor from Philadelphia to Boston, with heat indices likely to reach 110°F in New York City Thursday.

The big picture: The heat in the U.S. pales in comparison to what is taking place in Europe.

  • Sicily may have set an all-time continental record on Wednesday, when the community of Siracusa hit 48.8°C, or 119.8°F.
  • Deadly, widespread wildfires have been burning in Turkey, Greece, and Algeria, and concerns are growing for fires to break out in Spain and Portugal through this weekend as the furnace-like heat shifts toward the Iberian peninsula.
  • Temperature records have also fallen in Tunisia, with Kairouan recording a reading of 112.5°F on Wednesday, which if verified would be a national record for any month, according to diligent record temperature tracker Etienne Kapikian, a meteorologist with Meteo France.
  • Climate studies have consistently shown that the Mediterranean is likely to become hotter and drier as human-caused warming continues, as a region of sinking air north of the equator shifts north.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.