A person shelters from the sun with a rainbow umbrella during a heat wave in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday.
Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images
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Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images
A person shelters from the sun with a rainbow umbrella during a heat wave in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday.
Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images
A heatwave is spreading across the western United States this weekend, as millions of Americans are expected to witness record temperatures.
With heat warnings extending into next week, West Coast and Southwest residents may not see relief for days.
About one-third of Americans was warned, monitored or advised for extreme temperatures over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, after a prolonged heatwave heat dome hovering over Texas extending into California, Nevada and Arizona.
The sweltering heat is expected to peak Sunday in those states, with temperatures in some deserts forecast to reach nearly 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We’ve been talking about this building heatwave for a week now and now the most intense is beginning,” the weather service said. said friday.
Local public health officials across the country are urging people to seek cool shelter and check on neighbors.
Some of the hottest places in the US could see their hottest day ever
While Las Vegas residents are used to scorching temperatures, meteorologists say they shouldn’t underestimate the risks of this multi-day heatwave.
“This heat wave is not typical desert heat due to its long duration, extreme daytime temperatures and warm nights. Everyone needs to take this heatwave seriously, including those living in the area. desert,” The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a warning in a tweet.
Las Vegas could hit a peak of 116 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday and Monday, with a low of 90 degrees, challenging the city’s all-time high record 117 degrees.
The heat wave there sent people to the hospital. emergency room doctor report treating dehydrated tourists, as well as a deceased elderly resident, who kept his temperature at 80 degrees to reduce electricity costs. Local health officials saw at least seven heat-related deaths this year.
In nearby Death Valley, Calif., one of the hottest places on Earth, temperatures can reach 129 degrees on Sunday, surpassing the daily record of 127 degrees.
After days of brutal heat, Phoenix attacks 118 degrees on Saturday, breaking the daily high temperature record by one degree. Phoenix looks set to break the longest period on record of 110 degrees or higher — an 18-day period, recorded in 1974 — with forecasts matching or hitting a daily record high through at least Wednesday.
“This weekend will have some of the hottest and most severe conditions we’ve ever seen,” David Hondula, the city’s director of heat response, told the AP. “This is the time for maximum community vigilance.”
So far, the heat has killed at least 12 people in Phoenix.
Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, is home to about 200 cooling centers, water stations, and rest sites. Honda said in a Friday interview with NBC Meet the press that cities like his could benefit from federal funds to keep centers better staffed and open longer.
The United States is currently experiencing temperatures similar to those felt during last year’s heatwave in Europe. More than 61,000 people died of heat in Europe during that period, base on the research published this week.
What caused this latest heatwave?
Several factors are driving hotter temperatures. Recently The appearance of El Ninoa natural climate pattern marked by warmer temperatures in the Pacific, is bringing hotter weather around the world.
El Niño, which coincides with the hottest years on record, exacerbates the effects of climate change, including warmer temperatures caused by burning fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas emissions that heat the planet. .
Climate change can create heat domes — the phenomenon that produces heat waves like these — more often and more intensely. Heat domes occur when high pressure in Earth’s atmosphere traps hot air from the ocean from the sun like a hot air balloon.
NPR’s Nathan Rott contributed to this report.
