- Texas hospitals filling up amid extreme heat and power cuts
- Hurricane Beryl has left over a million people without electricity during a deadly heat wave in Texas
- Temperatures in the Houston area are expected to hit 105°F (40°C)
- Over 100 cooling centres have been opened to help residents cope with the heat
- The heat wave is affecting a wide swath of the US, with tens of millions under heat advisories from California to Texas
Texas hospitals filling up amid extreme heat and power cuts
Hospitals in Houston are filling up as Hurricane Beryl has left over a million people without electricity during a deadly heat wave. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced that the city’s football stadium has been turned into a “transitional facility” to accommodate overflow from hospitals. The power outages have made it difficult to discharge patients, as many cannot return home without electricity.
Temperatures in the Houston area are expected to hit 105°F (40°C), exacerbating the situation for residents still recovering from the hurricane. With more than two million people initially without power and around 1.3 million still affected, over 100 cooling centres have been opened to help residents cope with the heat.
Hospitals in Houston are under strain and relying on generators during brutal heatwave.@KathyParkNBC presses Houston’s largest utility company that says 500,000 won’t have power restored until next week. pic.twitter.com/ohrmzGkVbT
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) July 11, 2024
The heat wave is affecting a wide swath of the US, with tens of millions under heat advisories from California to Texas. California faces “dangerously hot conditions” with temperatures up to 120°F (49°C) in some areas, while Oregon, typically milder, is also experiencing triple-digit temperatures. Ten deaths in Oregon are being investigated in connection to the extreme heat.
Climate scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves to human-led climate change. Last year, the planet experienced its hottest recorded day four days in a row, underscoring the ongoing and escalating impact of global warming.