“Our infrastructure is built for typical Portland temperature ranges,” Portland Streetcar

spokesperson Andrew Plambeck explained in Newsweek, “and this heatwave is far beyond
typical for June in Portland.”
Temperatures at this time of the year only rarely venture above 32°C (89°F) in Portland, so
having air conditioning isn’t a huge priority. In nearby Seattle, where you’re unlikely to see a
June day above 29°C (84°F), less than half of homes have it installed. So as temperatures
skyrocketed to nearly 50°C (122°F) in the Pacific Northwest last week, schools and
community leisure facilities have been forced to close.
“Many of our elementary schools do not have air conditioning that is sufficient to keep
classrooms cool in those circumstances," Angus Wilson, district superintendent of one
British Columbia school district, told CBC News.