Jun 21 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Too hot to fly: 40 flights cancelled in southwest US
Phoenix:
AGENCIES
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American Airlines cancelled nearly 40 flights on Tuesday in Phoenix and doctors urged people to be careful around concrete, playground equipment and vehicle interiors on Monday as a heatwave threatened to ratchet up temperatures to 53 degrees celsius in parts of southwestern US.Arizona is seeing the most stifling temperatures, but the wrath of the heatwave is being felt across Nevada and Death Valley in California as well. Las Vegas was forecast to hit 47 degrees celsius on Tuesday on the first day of summer. The National Weather Service has been forecasting Tuesday highs at 48 degrees celsius in Phoenix for the past several days, a number not seen in the desert city in more than 20 years.
The extreme heat has been brought on by a high-pressure system camped over the Four Corners region, with the worst forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday . The heat wave was expected to push temperatures even higher by midweek, taxing power grids and prompting airlines to warn that flights could be disrupted.
American Airlines said it would allow Phoenix passengers flying during the peak heat from Monday to Wednesday to change flights without a fee. A spokesman said the smaller regional jets couldn't operate once the temperature hits 47 degrees celsius. Officials said that visitors should be aware that Las Vegas is often hotter than the rest of the city. Weather service meteorologist Ashley Allen said the Strip's tall, close buildings and long stretches of concrete caused the area to heat quickly and cool slowly . It gets so hot in Phoenix that stores put coverings over door handles so people don't burn their hands. Steering wheels and car shifters can be too hot to touch. And the pavement can burn the paws of pets.
The chief of Arizona Burn Centre said secondand third-degree burns were common. Phoenix had 130 heat-related deaths in 2016, highest number in a decade. Nearly 2,000 people visit Arizona emergency rooms every year due to heat-related illnesses.
The extreme heat has been brought on by a high-pressure system camped over the Four Corners region, with the worst forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday . The heat wave was expected to push temperatures even higher by midweek, taxing power grids and prompting airlines to warn that flights could be disrupted.
American Airlines said it would allow Phoenix passengers flying during the peak heat from Monday to Wednesday to change flights without a fee. A spokesman said the smaller regional jets couldn't operate once the temperature hits 47 degrees celsius. Officials said that visitors should be aware that Las Vegas is often hotter than the rest of the city. Weather service meteorologist Ashley Allen said the Strip's tall, close buildings and long stretches of concrete caused the area to heat quickly and cool slowly . It gets so hot in Phoenix that stores put coverings over door handles so people don't burn their hands. Steering wheels and car shifters can be too hot to touch. And the pavement can burn the paws of pets.
The chief of Arizona Burn Centre said secondand third-degree burns were common. Phoenix had 130 heat-related deaths in 2016, highest number in a decade. Nearly 2,000 people visit Arizona emergency rooms every year due to heat-related illnesses.
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