2021 Western North America heat wave

An extreme heat wave affected much of western North America in late June and early July of 2021. The heat affected Northern California, Idaho, western Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in the United States, as well as British Columbia, and, later, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and Yukon, all in Canada. 

It resulted in some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the region, including the highest temperature ever measured in Canada at 49.6 °C (121.3 °F), as well as the highest temperatures in British Columbia, in the Northwest Territories, and Washington.

The heat wave caused many huge wildfires, some reaching hundreds of square kilometers in area, which led to widespread disruption on the roads. One of them largely destroyed Lytton in British Columbia, the village where the record-high temperature for Canada had been set. The heat also caused damage to the road and railway infrastructure, forced closures of businesses, disrupted cultural events and caused widespread melting of snow on the mountains, some of which resulted in flooding.

The exact death toll is unknown. On July 6, 2021, preliminary statistics released by the British Columbia Coroner Service suggested 579 more sudden deaths than usual happened there. Deaths in the United States include at least 107.

References

Category:July 2021 events
Category:2021 in North America
Category:2021 in weather