CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Scorching Northern Hemisphere heat leads to deaths and wildfires

The United States is bracing for chaotic weather this week, with the South set to experience another heat wave following a short respite from searing temperatures earlier this month. The National Weather Service expects some areas to reach temperatures so high they’ll hit new daily records.

And it’s not just the U.S. Across the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe and Asia, extreme temperatures are causing deadly heatstroke and early wildfires ahead of the start of the astronomical summer on Thursday.

Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now:

— From extreme heat to unseasonable cold in the Pacific Northwest, the U.S. is facing a myriad of extremes. The Rocky Mountains may get a late bout of snow, while further south, firefighters in Los Angeles are dealing with their first major fire of the season and Phoenix will experience more days above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).

— With temperatures of up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, at least 14 pilgrims marking the start of Eid al-Adha died of heatstroke, according to Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency. An Associated Press reporter saw several of the more than 1.8 million pilgrims collapse due to burning heat.

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