The central United States recently experienced an unprecedented February heatwave, breaking numerous temperature records in several states and cities.
Temperatures soared well above normal, with some areas reaching record highs.
“Insanity, madness, mind blowing,” weather historian Maximiliano Herrera wrote of the heat waves. “Records were brutalized with margins seen only a couple of times in history,” he said.
The Central United States has just witnessed what was probably its most significant February heat wave on record, after scores of records were not just broken, but demolished. https://t.co/r5ou9I4O5v
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 28, 2024
This extreme warmth, fueled by the El Niño climate pattern and human-caused climate change, led to tornado outbreaks and wildfires in the Midwest.
The warm weather is likely to continue, with more record-breaking temperatures expected in the coming days.
A significant drop in temperatures followed the heatwave as a strong front moved eastward.
Despite the sudden cold snap, temperatures are expected to rise again, with record warmth predicted for parts of the northern Plains.
