Sua Shin

North Hollywood Highly Gifted Magnet

9th Grade

Arizona ‘s weather is melting away

Arizona is steaming with impossible weathers these days, reaching around 113 degrees Farenheit and even higher in some locations.

It’s so hot, things that definitely shouldn’t be melting, are beginning to melt.

Mailboxes can’t stand the sun, nor can plastic trash bins and even regular credit cards. We say that it can make sense that those man-made materials are melting away, but what is more worrying is the fact that cacti are melting, too.

Yes, the plant that’s evolved through desert climates over its time on earth, and should be able to survive a typical southwestern climate, can’t take the current heat wave.

People have started trying to cook their raw foods outdoors, such as on the pavement and cars. Posts on Twitter show how they’ve even baked cookies within an hour using their cars and the sun. According to Independent, the Arizona Burn Center has nearly doubled its patients each day since the wave began.

Not only the people who live there, but the travelers have also problems with the weather. American Airlines canceled 50 flights in and out of Phoenix due to the extreme heat. According to the Washington Post, some smaller planes can only handle temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit and even larger planes are forced to adjust takeoff speeds due to the thin, hot air.

This extreme heat wave is most likely caused by climate change. Arizona is not the only place affected by it. The Great Lakes, for example, have water levels exceeding averages with high humidity.

The summer sun in Phoenix and much of the southwest can be a treat for vacationers and residents, but these temperatures are uninhabitable. Many have longing for the cooler winter months to return to the area real soon. Climate change can be reduced if more people participate in saving energy for the most.

<Sua Shin, North Hollywood Highly Gifted Magnet, 9th Grade>