Record-shattering temperatures linked to dozens of deaths, buckled roads, blackouts and wildfires
Joe Biden has joined scientists in blaming the climate crisis for a record-shattering heatwave in the western US and Canada that has been linked to dozens of deaths, buckled roads, blackouts and wildfires.
Officials in Canada have been shocked by the temperature rise, which hit 47.9C (118F) in Lytton, British Columbia, on Monday, smashing the national record set the previous day. The extended heatwave has also posed a health threat. In Vancouver, police said they responded to 25 sudden-death calls in a 24-hour period.
Related: The ‘heat dome’ explained: why the Pacific north-west is facing record temperatures
Wires were used in this report