Experts said that the cause of the mass death of livestock was a rare combination of high temperature, high humidity and lack of wind.
In southwest Kansas, thousands of cattle died due to heat stroke caused by high temperatures, humidity and almost no wind. This is reported by the Associated Press with reference to representatives of the agricultural industry of the state.
The final number of dead animals is still unknown, but, as of Thursday, June 16, the state Ministry of Health and Environment received reports of at least 2 thousand cases. Matt Lara, a spokesman for the ministry, suggested that this number will grow as owners of more and more animals report losses from the heat.
The death of cattle led to the appearance of unfounded statements on social networks and other sources that weather conditions were not the only cause of death. However, the state authorities said there was no evidence pointing to other causes.
“It’s really about a weather phenomenon that was limited to a specific region in southwest Kansas,” said veterinarian Anthony Tarpoff of the University of Kansas. “Yes, temperatures have risen, but the more important reason for such damage is a large jump in humidity with a significant decrease in wind speed, which is rare for western Kansas.”
Last week, the temperature was kept at 20-30 degrees Celsius, but on Saturday it sharply exceeded 37 degrees, said Scarlett Hagins, a representative of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association.
“This happens once every 10-20 years. This is not a typical phenomenon,” said Brandon Depenbusch, a representative of the feedlot Innovative Livestock Services in Great Bend, Kansas.
Extreme heat in Kansas was not the only manifestation of the elements, which turned into problems for residents of the United States. This week, we talked about extreme temperatures in the Midwest of the United States, the consequences of heavy rains faced by the management of Yellowstone Park, as well as wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico.
