A record heatwave has covered half of the western United States and is shifting eastward, bringing unusually high temperatures to many areas.
According to the Weather Forecast Center of the US National Weather Service, dozens of cities from California to Colorado recorded the highest temperature ever in March. Many places just a week before were still frozen or lower.
On March 21, some areas recorded new records such as Kansas City, Missouri and North Platte, Nebraska with 33.3 degrees Celsius. In Chanute, Kansas, the temperature increased from a record low of -10.5 degrees Celsius on March 16 to a record high of 32.8 degrees Celsius after only 4 days.
The heatwave also set many other record milestones. In Phoenix, Arizona, the lowest temperature of the day reached 21.1 degrees Celsius - the highest level ever recorded so early in the year. Many other cities such as Denver, Grand Island and Midland also recorded the highest temperature of the day.
Previously, some areas along the southern border between California and Arizona recorded temperatures up to 44.4 degrees Celsius, the highest level in US history for March.
The weather agency issued an extreme heat warning in desert areas, and also issued a high risk of forest fires for the states of Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Scientists believe that such heat waves are clear signs of global warming, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. In the context of the winter in the Northern Hemisphere just ending, the sharp increase in temperature is having a major impact on the ecosystem.
Many plants and animals have bloomed early and grown unusually fast, driven by heavy rainfall in previous months, indicating significant weather fluctuations.
