- Muslim women break taboos navigating east London's waterways
- Nepal dam-building spree powers electric vehicle boom
- More than 60 dead from storm Helene as rescue, cleanup efforts grow
- Dozens missing, 9 dead in migrant boat wreck off Spanish Canaries
- Death toll from Hurricane John hits eight in Mexico
- Storm Helene's toll rises as rescue and cleanup efforts gain pace
- SpaceX launches mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding as cleanup begins
- SpaceX set to launch mission to return stranded astronauts
- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
Southern US swelters in brutal heat wave
A dangerous and prolonged heat wave blanketed large parts of the southern United States on Tuesday, buckling highways and forcing people into air-conditioned shelters as temperatures soared past 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius).
Excessive heat warnings were in place from Arizona in the southwest all the way to Alabama in the southeast, with south and central Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley worst hit, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
"There may be more danger than a typical heat event, due to the elevated longevity or record high nighttime lows and elevated heat index readings during the day," the NWS said, urging Americans in affected areas to drink plenty of fluids, stay indoors, and check on vulnerable relatives.
Climate change is causing increasingly frequent and intense heat waves in major cities across the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Most of Texas had already warmed by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2016, as compared with a century before, because of accumulated historic greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA said.
The sweltering conditions are expected to expand throughout the south beginning Wednesday and continue into the long July 4 holiday weekend.
The extreme heat appears to have already claimed some lives.
Last week, a 66-year-old postal worker in Dallas fainted while delivering mail as the heat index hovered around 115F. He died hours later, the US Postal Service told the media, though the cause of death is still being investigated.
And on Friday, a 14-year-old boy collapsed from exhaustion while hiking in Big Bend National Park in Texas and later died, according to an official statement.
His stepfather left the scene to hike back to their vehicle to find help while the teen's brother attempted to carry him back to the trailhead. The father was later found dead in a car crash.
- Strain on power grid -
The strain is sure to put the power grid in Texas to the test, as millions of people switch on their air conditioners to cope, with demand peaking around late afternoon.
ERCOT, the state utility operator, has issued a Weather Watch, calling on individuals and institutions to voluntarily save energy to avoid an emergency -- but has so far been able to cope, thanks in part to an increasing contribution from solar power in recent years.
Renewable energy sources -- solar and wind -- are currently responsible for around 35 percent of the grid's mix, according to GridStatus.io.
The extreme heat was taking a toll on Texas highways, causing roads to crack and buckle, with the state's Department of Transportation reporting numerous repairs in the last week, primarily in the Houston area.
Vulnerable people such as the homeless and those without air conditioning were going to public cooling centers run by local authorities or the Red Cross.
Animals, too, were suffering. The Houston Humane Society said 12 cats and one dog were found dead in an abandoned apartment. The group was able to rescue six cats from the property.
L.K.Baumgartner--CPN