More than 34 million Americans were under excessive heat warnings, and 61 million under heat advisories on Friday, according to weather service
LOS ANGELES — Tens of millions of Americans are under heat warnings and watches across over a dozen US states, with multiple cities expected to break heat records in the coming weekend.
A “searing heat wave” is set to engulf much of the West Coast, the Great Basin, and the Southwest this weekend, said the US National Weather Service (NWS), according to Xinhua.
Much of the south-central and western United States has been hit by an unrelenting wave of dangerous high temperatures in recent days and weeks, which forecasters say is still intensifying.
Between Saturday and Sunday, there are 45 record-high temperatures forecast in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Oregon and Idaho, according to the NWS.
Temperatures could approach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) Friday in parts of Arizona and Nevada, with forecasters warning of the possibility of all-time highs in both Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Both of the two cities are under excessive heat warnings.
Las Vegas is set to break its hottest temperature ever recorded on Sunday with forecasted temperature to reach 118 degrees Fahrenheit (47.8 degrees Celsius).
It would break the previous record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 degrees Celsius).
Parts of the desert in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona will likely top 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9 degrees Celsius) Saturday, the weather service said.
More than 34 million Americans were under excessive heat warnings, and 61 million under heat advisories on Friday, according to weather service.
The soaring temperatures are due to an “upper level ridge of high pressure” over the US Southwest, which is set to strengthen, according to the NWS.
The recent record-breaking heat is evidence of climate change stoked by fossil fuel emissions, according to scientists.
June 2023 was the hottest June on record, NASA’s global temperature analysis has found.
The record dates back to 1880, when modern global record keeping became possible.
The global mean temperature anomaly for June 2023 was 1.07 degrees Celcius above the 1951-1980 June average, a period which is a baseline to understand how global temperatures change over time.
This month is part of a pattern of increasing global temperatures, as a result of human activities, mainly carbon dioxide emissions, according to NASA.
The oppressive heat will also heighten risks for heat-related illness and wildfires.
Health officials have advised people to take precautions against extreme heat, stay indoors from 10 am to 3 pm during the hottest parts of the day, reduce physical activity, stay hydrated throughout the day, and check on the elderly, young children, and those who may not have access to cooling. — Bernama
