2021 heat waves

List of heatwaves

Air temperature anomalies during the June 2021 Western North America heat wave, compared to 2014–2020 baseline

This page documents notable heat waves worldwide in 2021.

In June 2021, a heat wave set a record high nationwide temperature in Canada. The event led to thousands of heat-related deaths.

## List

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### February

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Main article: 2021 Eurasia winter heatwave

Across Europe[1] and parts of Asia, unusually high-temperatures in the late-winter period were reported from 20 February until 28 February 2021.

### June

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#### Eurasia

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Temperature on 23 June in Moscow (17:18 UTC+3)

Parts of Russia and eastern Europe were hit by record-breaking heat wave in June and July, with temperatures in the Arctic Circle above 30 °C (86 °F) and highest June temperature were recorded in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Temperature 20 °C (36 °F) above average hit central and eastern Europe, with the highest anomalies centered on Scandinavia and parts of western Russia, due to the heat dome effect.[2] Anticyclone conditions over Russia resemble those in the 2010 heat waves, with parts of Siberia were 15 °C (27 °F) higher than normal.[3] The shores of the Barents Sea saw hotter temperatures than beaches in Italy and southern France, around 25–30 °C (77–86 °F) for several days.[4]

In June 2021, Kazakhstan faced a record-breaking increase in temperatures in western parts of the country, specifically the Kyzylorda, Mangystau, and Turkistan regions. As a result, the Kazakh meteorological service Kazhydromet forecasted that an extreme drought would take place.[5] By 7 July, the temperatures reached up to 46.5 °C (115.7 °F).[6] Prior to the announcement of increased temperatures, photos from the Mangystau Region emerged on social media which showed emaciated horses on a verge of dying.[7] According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the cause for situation was due to lack of pasturage in the area as a result of several climatic conditions, and that measures would be implemented to prevent the further casualties of livestock.[8] The Khabar Agency on 16 June 2021 reported that approximately 2,000 livestock had died with Kazakh lawmakers calling for a state of emergency to be implemented in the Mangystau and Kyzylorda regions, citing the problems in farmers whom were unwilling to feed the cattle due to inflated costs for animal feed.[9][10] In July 2021, due to worsening situation, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on Agriculture Minister Saparhan Omarov to resign, citing his failure to provide assistance to struggling farmers.[11] On 13 July, a state of emergency was introduced in the Aral District in an attempt to solve the shortage of feed.[12] In a visit to Mangystau Region, Acting Agriculture Minister Erbol Qaraşukeev pledged that 1.9 billion ₸ would allocated in order to reduce the costs of livestock feed and that a ban on its exports would be placed as well.[13]

#### North America

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Main article: 2021 Western North America heat wave

An extreme heat wave affected much of Western North America from late June through mid-July 2021.[14] Rapid attribution analysis found this was a 1000-year weather event, made 150 times more likely by climate change.[15][16] The heat wave affected Northern California, Idaho, Western Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in the United States, as well as British Columbia, and, in its latter phase, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and Yukon, all in Canada.[17] The heat wave appeared due to an exceptionally strong ridge centered over the area, whose strength was linked to the effects of climate change.[18][19] It resulted in some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the region,[20] including the highest temperature ever measured in Canada at 49.6 °C (121.3 °F).[21] The exact death toll is unknown, and growing. On July 6, preliminary statistics released by the British Columbia Coroner Service indicated 610 more sudden deaths than usual occurred in the province and Alberta logged 66 excess deaths in the week of the heat wave;[22][23] the Chief Coroner of British Columbia later said that in the week between June 25 to July 1, 569 deaths were confirmed to have happened due to heat-related causes.[24] Confirmed deaths in the United States include at least 116 in Oregon (of which 72 are in Multnomah County, which includes Portland),[25][26][27] at least 112 in Washington[28] and one death in Idaho;[29] though an analysis by The New York Times suggests that around 600 excess deaths occurred on the week the heat wave passed through Washington and Oregon.[30]

### July

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In July, a heat wave in Europe led to record-breaking temperatures in the UK and Ireland.

### August

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A heat wave impacted North America in August 2021.[31][32] The heat wave was the second of the summer for the Pacific Northwest.[33][34] A state of emergency was declared in Oregon.[35] The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for the Portland metropolitan area (including Vancouver, Washington), most of the Columbia River Gorge, and the Willamette Valley.[36] Cooling centers were opened in Portland.[37] Oregon's climatologist said the heat wave is "an indicator of a troubling trend".[38]

## See also

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* Weather portal

* Weather of 2021

## References

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1. ^ Maura Kelly (27 February 2021). "Temperatures jump as winter 'heat wave' envelops parts of Europe". AccuWeather. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
2. ^ "Records crumble in Europe, Russia amid scorching heat wave". Washington Post. 24 June 2021.
3. ^ "Russia's Record-Breaking Heatwave to Continue Into July – Weather Service". Moscow Times. 24 June 2021.
4. ^ "Russian Arctic Temps Now Hotter Than in Mediterranean". Moscow Times. 20 May 2021.
5. ^ "Экстремальная засуха ожидается в Казахстане". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). 18 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
6. ^ "Kazakhstan: Drought - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) DREF Operation n° MDRKZ010 - Kazakhstan". ReliefWeb. International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
7. ^ "Жуткие фото умирающих от голода лошадей в Мангистау обсуждают в Сети". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). 2 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
8. ^ "Причину гибели лошадей в Мангистау назвали в Минсельхозе". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). 2 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
9. ^ "Режим ЧП могут ввести в двух областях". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). 16 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
10. ^ "Почти 2 тыс. голов скота погибли от голода в Кызылординской и Мангистауской областях - Новости Казахстана и мира на сегодня". 24.kz (in Russian). 16 June 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
11. ^ "Kazakh Agriculture Minister Fired For Failing To Help Farmers Affected By Drought". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
12. ^ "Режим ЧС ввели в Аральском районе - Новости Казахстана и мира на сегодня". 24.kz (in Russian). 13 July 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
13. ^ "Исполняющий обязанности министра сельского хозяйства посетил Мангистаускую область". informburo.kz (in Russian). 15 July 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
14. ^ Ingwersen, Julie (12 July 2021). "'Wither away and die:' U.S. Pacific Northwest heat wave bakes wheat, fruit crops". Reuters. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
15. ^ "Western North American extreme heat virtually impossible without human-caused climate change". World Weather Attribution. 7 July 2021.
16. ^ "Rapid attribution analysis of the extraordinary heatwave on the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada June 2021" (PDF). World Weather Attribution. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
17. ^ Dickson, Courtney (25 June 2021). "Western Canada heat wave expected to break daily, all-time temperature records". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
18. ^ Mulkern, Anne C. (28 June 2021). "Unprecedented Heat Wave in Pacific Northwest Driven by Climate Change". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
19. ^ "Climate change: US-Canada heatwave 'virtually impossible' without warming". BBC News. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
20. ^ Berardelli, Jeff (27 June 2021). "Pacific Northwest bakes under once in a millennium heat dome". CBS News. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
21. ^ "Weather Summaries". Environment and Climate Change Canada. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
22. ^ Potestio, Michael (21 July 2021). "Estimate on number of suspected heat-related deaths rises to 808". Toronto Star. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
23. ^ Johnson, Lisa (6 July 2021). "Alberta saw spike in reported deaths during heatwave, causes still under investigation". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
24. ^ Lapointe, Lisa (30 July 2021). "Chief coroner's statement on public safety during high temperatures". news.gov.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
25. ^ "Death toll from record-breaking heat wave hits 116 in Oregon". Associated Press. 7 July 2021. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
26. ^ Tabrizian, Ardeshir (7 July 2021). "Oregon's heat wave death toll grows to 116". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
27. ^ "County working on preliminary report of June 2021 heat wave deaths; focusing on housing type, cooling, demographics". Multnomah County. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
28. ^ Ryan, John (20 July 2021). "2021 heat wave is now the deadliest weather-related event in Washington history". KUOW. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
29. ^ Schwedelson, Paul (8 July 2021). "Treasure Valley has first death caused by heat wave". Idaho Press. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
30. ^ Popovich, Nadja; Choi-Schagrin, Winston (11 August 2021). "Hidden Toll of the Northwest Heat Wave: Hundreds of Extra Deaths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
31. ^ FLACCUS, GILLIAN (12 August 2021). "Northwest sizzles as heat wave hits many parts of US". Associated Press. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
32. ^ "The heat wave is here: Seattle has a 'good shot' of breaking a few temperature records". The Seattle Times. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
33. ^ Golden, Hallie; Anguiano, Dani (12 August 2021). "Washington and Oregon brace for brutal weekend as new heatwave arrives". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
34. ^ "Residents In The Pacific Northwest Are Getting Ready For Another Heat Wave". NPR. Portland, Oregon. Associated Press. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
35. ^ Golden, Hallie (12 August 2021). "Oregon declares state of emergency as another 'extreme heatwave' looms". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
36. ^ Yau, Justin (12 August 2021). "Portland residents suffer in sweltering Pacific Northwest heat wave". Reuters. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
37. ^ Williams, Kale (12 August 2021). "Oregonians get little relief amid second day of dangerous heat". The Oregonian. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
38. ^ Pfeifer, Maddie (11 August 2021). "State climatologist: Oregon's second heat wave indicates troubling trend". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Retrieved 13 August 2021.

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Heat waves

* List
* 2018
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* 2021
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Antarctica|

* 2024

Asia|

* 2002 (India)
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013 haze
* 2015
* India
* Pakistan
* 2016 (India)
* 2017 (Pakistan)
* 2018 (Northeast Asia)
* 2019 (India and Pakistan)
* 2022 (China)
* 2022 (India and Pakistan)
* 2022 (Japan)
* 2023
* China
* Pakistan
* 2024
* India
* Japan
* Pakistan
* Saudi Arabia
* Southeast Asia
* List of Indian heat waves

Europe|

| Before 1950|

* 1540
* July 1757
* 1906 (UK)
* 1911 (UK)

|

1950–1999|

* 1955 (UK)
* 1976
* UK and Ireland
* 1990 (UK)
* 1995 (UK)

2000–present|

* 2003
* 2006
* 2007
* 2010
* 2013 (UK)
* 2014 (Sweden)
* 2018
* UK
* Europe
* 2019
* 2021 (UK and Ireland)
* 2022
* Europe
* UK
* Drought
* 2023
* Drought
* Heat waves
* Cerberus
* 2024

North America|

| Before 1950|

* 1896 (East)
* 1901 (East)
* 1911 (East)
* 1934 and 1935
* 1936

|

1950–1999|

* 1980 (US)
* 1983-1985 drought
* 1988–1990 drought
* 1995 (Chicago)

2000–present|

* 2000 (Southern US)
* 2001 (East)
* 2006
* 2007
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* March
* Summer
* 2018
* 2020-2023 drought
* 2021 (West)
* 2022
* 2023
* 2023 (Caribbean)
* 2024

Oceania|

* Australian flying fox die-offs
* 2000s drought
* 2008–2009 (SE Aus.)
* 2012–2013 ("Angry Summer")

South America|

* 2009 (Argentina)
* 2022
* 2023

Related|

* Cooling center
* Heat waves and climate change
* Hyperthermia
* List of droughts
* Marine heatwave

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