Southwest heat records in March are being linked to climate change

A March heat wave across the U.S. Southwest shattered monthly temperature records, including a 110°F (43.3°C) reading in Arizona. World Weather Attribution reported the event would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming and estimated roughly 2.6–4°C of extra warming contributed to the temperatures.

A March heat wave across the U.S. Southwest shattered monthly temperature records, including a 110°F (43.3°C) reading in Arizona. Scientists and meteorologists described the event as an example of increasingly extreme weather tied to global warming. A preliminary analysis by World Weather Attribution reported the March heat would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming and estimated that warming added roughly 2.6–4°C to the observed temperatures. Known details: - World Weather Attribution's flash analysis found events this warm in March would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming. - Regional readings reached about 110°F (43.3°C) and were described by scientists as up to roughly 30°F (17°C) above normal in affected areas. - NOAA and AP data cited in the article show the U.S. is breaking more hot-weather records now than in past decades, and the number and cost of major weather disasters have increased over recent decades. Summary: The article presents the March Southwest heat wave as part of a broader pattern of more frequent and intense extreme weather linked to human-caused warming, and notes that systems based on historical climate patterns are being challenged. Undetermined at this time.