The deaths come as a heat dome traps hot air over the Pacific Northwest, with temperature records being set earlier in the week.- At least 63 people in Oregon have died since Friday, according to the State Medical Examiner’s office. Washington state authorities had linked more than half-dozen deaths to the heat, but that number was likely to rise.
- Scientists expect more frequent and intense heat waves because of climate change and the worst drought in modern history.
Authorities from Oregon to British Columbia are investigating hundreds of deaths in connection to the historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest corridor.
Temperatures in Oregon topped 117 Monday, according to the National Weather Service, due to a heat dome trapping hot air over the state and its neighbors.
At least 63 people have died since Friday, the State Medical Examiner’s office said, and “preliminary investigation suggests may be associated with the Pacific Northwest heatwave,” said Oregon State Police Captain Tim Fox.
That number was based on reports from each county’s medical office and could fluctuate as more information becomes available.
At least 45 of those deaths were in Multnomah County, which houses Portland, Oregon, officials said in a news release. Ages among the dead range from 44 to 97, and most had underlying health conditions.
