We end the week with one of the hottest days of summer and amid an official heatwave, which means three consecutive days when temperatures reach 90 degrees and above. Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories are in place across the entire state, according to the National Weather Service, with the heat index making it feel well over 100 degrees and dangerously hot.
It’s been a season of extreme weather. Is this what we should expect from now on?
Anthony Broccoli, co-director of the Rutgers Climate Institute, said the number of days the state reached above 90 degrees has almost doubled since the 1970s, noting studies pointing towards the connection between climate change and extreme weather patterns.
“Our future is in our hands in the sense that whether or not that happens [increased temperature trends] depends on how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere in the future,” said Broccoli.
Lead funding for Peril and Promise is provided by Dr. P. Roy Vagelos and Diana T. Vagelos. Major support is provided by Marc Haas Foundation and Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III.
