"Unprecedented 'Hot Drought' in the West Lasts Over 500 Years"

New research using tree ring analysis suggests that the hot and dry conditions in the Western United States over the last two decades are unprecedented in at least 500 years. This "hot drought" is a result of extreme heat and dry conditions amplifying each other, and it has never been this severe. The study highlights the increasing prevalence of hot drought across western North America since the 16th century, emphasizing the impact of human-caused climate change on temperature changes and the uncertainty it brings to future projections and mitigation measures.