record heat
Newsletter
Credit: Pixabay
Extreme heat is damaging America's transportation infrastructure
Record heat in summer 2024 is straining America’s infrastructure, causing issues like stuck bridges and buckling roads, and disrupting transportation systems.
In short:
- The Third Avenue Bridge in New York jammed after metal expansion caused by heat, and roads in Washington and Wisconsin have buckled, disrupting traffic.
- Amtrak and other rail systems face delays due to heat-induced rail expansion, which can cause derailments and safety hazards.
- Engineers are using innovative solutions, including heat-resistant materials and advanced monitoring systems, to address these challenges.
Key quote:
“Like human bodies, infrastructure needs to be maintained from the beginning to reduce costs and increase the potential for effective rehabilitation.”
— Suyun Paul Ham, associate professor of civil engineering, University of Texas at Arlington
Why this matters:
As climate change intensifies, extreme weather events will increasingly threaten aging infrastructure, leading to safety hazards and costly disruptions. Effective engineering solutions and timely maintenance are vital to enhance the resilience of critical transportation networks.
Keep reading...Show less
Top Story
Photo by Jonas Weckschmied on Unsplash
The planet saw its hottest day on record this week. It's a record that will be broken again and again
While these global temperature records are based on data sets that go back to the mid-20th century, they are almost certainly the warmest the planet has seen over a much longer time period, some scientists say, given what we know from many millennia of climate data extracted from ice cores and coral reefs.
Newsletter
Vietnam records highest ever temperature of 44.1C
Vietnam has reported a record-high temperature of 44.1C (111.38F), as weather experts and authorities told the population to remain indoors during the hottest parts of the day.
Historic, unforgiving Western heat wave is peaking and crushing records
California’s inland and valley regions are seeing unprecedented September temperatures over 110 degrees, while the state’s power grid is near the brink.
Another wave of extreme heat targets Europe, prompting alerts
London and Paris are forecast to reach 90 degrees or higher late this week.
Newsletter
Record heat to bake California as April snowpack nears 70-year low
Much of California will see highs in the 80s and 90s on Thursday.
The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history, new data shows
Global temperatures in 2021 were among the highest ever observed, with 25 countries setting new annual records.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
