Wildfires, floods and heat waves strike multiple U.S. regions this summer

Wildfire smoke from Canada reached more than 100 million people across the Northeast and Midwest last week, producing air-quality warnings from Minnesota to Massachusetts. The smoke originated from more than 3,500 fires that have burned over 6 million acres in Canada this summer.

A record heat dome over the central United States directed the plumes south into the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

quality and health effects Chicago and Detroit recorded some of the worst air quality worldwide during the period. Officials issued warnings that remained in effect through at least Saturday in several areas. Many residents wore face masks outdoors while smoke reduced visibility and altered sunsets in Boston, New York and Washington.

heat events Parts of

Texas experienced flash flooding after a rainfall event with a 0.1 percent annual probability. In some Hill Country locations nearly a full year of rain fell in one week, raising rivers and stranding residents. Hundreds of millions of people across the U.S. and Europe remained under heat domes that produced thousands of excess deaths in Europe, according to reports cited by the source.

A National Academy of

Sciences report released this summer states researchers can now directly link heat waves and precipitation extremes to human-caused climate change. Climate scientist Zachary Labe of Climate Central said overlapping hazards increase economic losses, health impacts and stress on infrastructure.