A historic heatwave is scorching the US Southwest, shattering March temperature records and alarming climate experts. On March 19, Arizona hit 43.3°C - the hottest March day ever recorded in the United States.
Scientists from World Weather Attribution say such extreme heat would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change. Their analysis shows warming from fossil fuel emissions added 2.6 to 4°C to regional temperatures.
"What used to be unprecedented events are now recurring features of a warming world," says climate scientist Andrew Weaver. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports the U.S. is breaking 77% more heat records now than in the 1970s.
Craig Fugate, former FEMA director, warns that emergency systems built on historical weather data are no longer reliable. Insurers are pulling back, signaling a breakdown in long-term climate assumptions.
From Siberia to the Pacific Northwest, extreme heat, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires are intensifying. Climate Central’s Adam Smith calls last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires - the costliest U.S. weather disaster - a direct result of climate-driven extremes.