"Unrelenting" heat wave scorches Midwest
Forecasters call the heat wave gripping the central U.S. "unrelenting," and say residents should not expect any relief soon.
Heat advisories and warnings are in place in 17 states, from Texas to Michigan, as temperatures and humidity combine to make being outside uncomfortable for millions.
Across the country, this month's summer's searing heat has tied or broken high temperature records nearly 900 times, reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers.
A half-dozen cities set new all-time highs. On June 15 it hit 105? in Tallahasse, Fla., and on June 26 records were broken or tied in Amarillo, Texas (111?), Borger, Texas (113?), Dalhart, Texas (110?), Childress, Texas (117?) and Gage, Okla. (113?).
In Oklahoma there's no place to hide - Oklahoma City temperatures have been 90 degrees or more for 47 straight days, topping a hundred nearly every day this month. With triple-digit heat possible through September, the city is on pace to break its record for such days (50, set in 1980).
In Enid, Okla., asphalt at a major intersection along U.S. Highway 412 buckled Saturday night from the intense heat.
The governor asked for a statewide day of prayer in the hopes of divine intervention.
Okla. governor calls for prayer to end heat wave
From hot to hotter: Heat wave settles in Midwest
In Chicago, with heat indexes over a hundred, thousands sought relief in the relatively chilly 78-degree waters of Lake Michigan.
An Omaha, Neb., amusement park owner said the water in the park's two pools felt like bathwater heading into the weekend. So Fun Plex owner Dwight Anderson had 2 tons of ice cubes dumped in Friday evening to cool things off. That brought the water temperature down from 88 degrees to a comparatively chilly 82.
In Chicago public health officials say it's time to take extra precautions. Their tips include limiting time outdoors, drinking plenty of water and wearing loose fitting clothes. Health officials are also urging the public to keep a close eye on infants and the elderly. The city says half a dozen cooling centers will be open this week.
For those who have to work outside the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends frequent rest breaks in the shade or air conditioning.
There are heat advisories, warnings and watches for counties across Illinois, where temperatures may reach into the 100s in some parts.
Video: Foods to help you stay hydrated
Cooling centers also were open in Detroit to help residents who don't have air conditioning at home. Others were heading toward water for relief, including 65-year-old welder Marcellus Washington, who wore a floppy cloth fishing hat and sunglasses as he walked through a park on the Detroit River that marks the border with Canada.
"A day like this, you can't beat it," Washington said. "It's a heavenly day. It's God's weather."
Others who had to be outside in the heat took precautions. North Dakota National Guard Capt. Dan Murphy said several hundred soldiers deployed for flood-fighting efforts in the Dakotas were required to take mandatory rest breaks in the shade.
"It's hot in those vests and uniforms," Murphy said. "These are soldiers. They can't just strip down to T-shirts and shorts."
Officials at the Cornhusker State Games, an amateur sports festival in Nebraska, had crews bring extra water and ice for participants.
"It takes a physical toll on anyone out there," said the event's executive director, Dave Minarik.
The Schwan's USA Cup youth soccer tournament in Blaine, Minn., suspended play for a time Sunday because of heat indexes that soared to 110 degrees. Tournament spokesman Barclay Kruse said organizers wanted to avoid any heat-related health issues before they developed.
Police said heat may have played a role in the death of a 55-year-old man at a homeless camp in Springfield, Mo., on Saturday. Police found him in a small tent after others at the camp raised alarm. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
The heat also is adversely affecting wildlife. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service said last week that pregnant does are having difficulty carrying fawns to term and other fawns are being born prematurely.
Texas A&M University researchers determined the period from February to June was the driest such period on record in Texas, with a statewide average of 4.26 inches of rain. The next driest February-to-June stretch was in 1917, with a 6.45-inch rain average.
The Smokovs in North Dakota monitored their cattle for heat symptoms Sunday as temperatures neared triple digits.
"The cattle seem to be OK and we haven't lost any from the heat," Betty Smokov said. "We're making sure they got water and in this heat, that's all you can do."
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Scientists at Boston University believe they have come up with an explanation for why global warming slowed down a bit during the 2000s, known for being one of the hottest decades ever. The answer, according to the study, is a massive increase in sulfur pollution as a result of China's increase in coal burning during the decade. Sulfur particles in the air reflect the sun's rays and can have a cooling effect on the atmosphere. The effect is only temporary, and ironically, the carbon dioxide produced by the same coal burning process that produces the sulfur accelerates global warming.
"People normally just focus on the warming effect of CO2 (carbon dioxide), but during the Chinese economic expansion there was a huge increase in sulfur emissions," noted Robert Kaufmann, the lead author of the study, which was published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Unfortunately, the sulfur effect of slowing global warming is only temporary, while the carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for longer periods of time.
China's consumption of coal doubled between 2003 and 2007, affecting an increase of coal consumption around the world of 26 percent. Over the last few years, Chinese authorities have recognized the effects of sulfur pollution on its environment and citizens, and now steps are taken to remove the sulfur from the emissions. Sulfur fades from the atmosphere quickly, while carbon dioxide stays for a long time, so the effects of warming are already showing up again.
The slowdown, the study's authors say, disappeared in 2009 and 2010, and temperatures began climbing again. In fact, according to records from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010 was the warmest year on record. Sulfur's ability to limit global warming has led to speculation about the possibility of using it to control warming moving forward. The idea is to introduce sulfur compounds high into the atmosphere, where it would form clouds and increase haze that would help to reflect some of the sun's light.
Unfortunately, preliminary research into the idea has proven it a bad one. An analysis by the National Center for Atmospheric Research suggests that injecting that much sulfur into the atmosphere could wipe out the protective Arctic ozone layer and delay the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by as much as 70 years. Ozone, while a harmful pollutant down here near the surface, forms a protective layer high in the atmosphere that limits harmful UV rays from the sun.
Overall, temperatures around the world have been rising for more than a century since the industrial revolution led to the beginning of man pumping gases like carbon dioxide into the air. The pause in warming during the 200s was not the first, as a similar slowdown in warming was seen after World War II when a number of nations boosted sulfur emissions. Scientists are concerned that continued global warming could have wide-ranging impact including drought, changing storm patterns, rapid spread of tropical diseases and rising sea levels.
say to yourself; "Behold your god!"
Nothing to see here.
Now, move along, move along...