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An unofficial list of all the new all time record maximum temperatures in this event, courtesy of the "coolwx" website run by Dr. Robert Hart of Florida State University. Some of the new all time record temperatures are more than 8C greater than the previously highest temperature ever recorded at the sites.


Many all time records were set. Additionally, the temperatures were substantially warmer than what is normal for these locations. Below shows the high temperature in Portland, Oregon, being 36 degrees F (20C) above normal.
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SOCIETAL IMPACTS

WA, OR, and BC are all usually cool and cloudy. Houses are built with large, south facing windows, to maximize sunlight into houses. Less than half of houses have air conditioning.  In short: WA, OR, and BC houses are all built to the past climatology of the area, and the heat they got was very far from that climatology. One approach taken was to board up windows. In contrast to an incoming tropical cyclone, in which the boarding up is to prevent glass from breaking, here, it was to block out the sun and try to keep in the cool air. Dale Durran, University of Washington: "One thing I did to prepare for the heat was buy some 4’x8’ sheets of 1/4” foam core and use them to block the direct sunlight in several windows.  Below is a photo of one row of such blocked windows.  I’m going to save these for really cold days too — they have to have an R value above most window coverings and work particularly well on the sloped glass."

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#4 - This was a high impact event. Temperatures were 20-25C above normal, in summer. The locations impacted were not built for this heat. As the climate of the earth changes, more events like this - where the weather is something never before experienced, and not something a community is prepared for - will likely happen.


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This event has also been added to the Severe Event Catalogue for further analysis: 202106 - Heatwave - N.America