West Sizzles Under Record Heat as Hawaii Faces Severe Flooding

Western states are experiencing a historic early-season heat wave, setting dozens of March temperature records (Phoenix hit 105F; forecast to exceed 200 more records), with rapid attribution studies finding such heat waves four times more likely due to climate change and threatening snowpack and water supplies. Meanwhile Hawaii faces relentless Kona-low storms causing severe flooding, with the Wahiawa Dam stressed and roughly $1 billion in damage plus about $11 million in farmer losses; officials have requested a major disaster declaration and relief efforts are underway.