Weeks-long streaks of 100-plus-degree days break records across U.S.
The heat wave plaguing the southern United States is expected to stretch into early next week, with temperatures persisting well above 100 degrees throughout much of Texas, Florida and Southern California. As of Wednesday, residents in El Paso, have experienced a record-breaking 27 consecutive days of 100-plus-degree heat, surpassing the 21-day streak in 1980, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
A coast-to-coast heat dome has caused record-breaking temperatures in places like Las Vegas and Death Valley, but the persistence of these temperatures makes this period of extreme heat particularly notable.
The southern United States has seen some locations with more than two weeks of 100-plus-degree maximum temperatures, with record-breaking streaks in Roswell, N ew Mexico, and Midland, Texas. The median duration of a record-breaking streak in 2023 – 14 days – is the longest in almost 90 years.
This year has seen almost more than 90 days with maximum temperatures exceeding 100 degrees at weather stations across the continental United States, with ongoing streaks expected to continue into next week. The heat wave adds to extreme weather events across the globe that are expected to intensify in coming years due to worsening climate change.
