The citizens of Alaska do not wear jacket for once in a while. Photo doc. EarthSky

Alaska’s Heat Wave Peaks and Disrupts Alaskans Socially

Zahara Sakinah Abdullah
Social & Life
Weather
Jul 06, 2019
2245
While normally it is supposed to be a state with cold temperature, Alaska’s largest city Anchorage faces the all-time record of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, equivalent to 32 degrees Celcius as a heat wave grips the US state that straddles the Arctic Circle. This record breaks the last record of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 degrees Celcius back in June 1969. While the average high temperature was only 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celcius, Anchorage’s temperature jumps almost twice the rate of the average in the beginning of July 2019, nearly equivalent to the temperature of Miami, Florida which is located in the southern part of the US.

Regarding the issue, the Fourth of July fireworks were cancelled due to risk of wildfires caused by extreme dry weather conditions.

The warming of Alaska these recent years has disrupted many aspects of social life in the state. The frozen ground that covers almost 85 percent of Alaska is melting and affecting the building foundations to wildlife habitats and the berries picking that grow on the tundra. The no longer frozen rivers that were usually serve as transport routes in winter are not accessible anymore. The ice becomes dangerously thin and unsafe for transportations like car or truck to travel.

Some recreational activities like sled-dog races have to be cancelled as well due to the ice-thinning and Iditarod race that has to be re-routed to the area where the ice is still solid because the usual route has turned to be open water areas.

The heat wave is not so good for the seal population as well. While this species give birth on solid ice, they have to find a way to survive this summer.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/alaska-heat-wave-shatters-city-s-record-disrupts-jobs-and-lives-11696720

alaska , weather , climate , change