The National Weather Service warned of “unprecedented heat” in Northwest Washington today, with temperatures expected to reach up to 113 degrees fahrenheit (45 degrees celsius). That’s very hot weather indeed, and Seattle-based Bungie had to shut its doors early as a result.
Bungie tools engineer James Haywood confirmed as much on Twitter. “Bungie is shutting down all the things because of the heat,” he wrote. “Guess that’s a wrap on work today.”
Bungie is shutting down all the things because of the heat. Guess that’s a wrap on work today.June 28, 2021
Seattle is not known for its heat, with the average June temperature over the last decade hitting a high of 72F (22C) and falling as low as (54F) 12C—that’s very moderate for summer. The Washington Post reports that Seattle itself hit “at least” 107F today.
The weather event is so extreme and unexpected that Amazon has turned its downtown Seattle headquarters into a “public cooling centre,” along with droves of other sites as listed by the City of Seattle. These public cooling centres, which are air conditioned, are necessary in a city where air conditioning isn’t usually necessary due to a lack of hot weather.
Temperatures are expected to ease tomorrow, with highs of 89—still above average, but hopefully a nice respite from melting roads.