An “extremely dangerous heat wave” will plague the Western and Southern parts of the country over the weekend, forecasters warned early Saturday.
“Numerous record high temperatures are likely and air quality issues will be common in multiple areas of the U.S.,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin. “Temperatures will reach levels that would pose a health risk, and be potentially deadly, to anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” it said.
The heat is expected to continue well into next week as a high pressure dome moves west from Texas.
What to know
- Nearly a third of Americans are under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings.
- All-time heat records could be reached at some locations in the Southwest, according to the National Weather Service.
- Phoenix marked the city's 15th consecutive day of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher temperatures on Friday, putting it on track to beat the record of 18 days, recorded in 1974.
- Firefighters in Southern California were battling three separate brush fires that started Friday afternoon in mostly rural areas across Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles.
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‘Extremely dangerous’ heat wave will intensify tomorrow
The “extremely dangerous” heat wave in the Southwest will reach peak intensity Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures could approach or set all-time heat records in the region, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert and Great Basin regions, the weather service said.
“Phoenix is also likely to register its hottest week on record by 7-day average temperature,” NWS officials wrote in an updated short-range forecast.
Extreme heat is forecast to persist into next week for parts of the region, and high temperatures and humidity will build across the South in the coming days.
The NWS urged people to stay hydrated and take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.
“Take the heat seriously and avoid time outdoors,” the NWS said. “Temperatures will reach levels that pose a health risk and are potentially deadly to anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.”
Death Valley hits 119 degrees F in early afternoon
Temperatures in Death Valley hit a scorching 119 degrees F early this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, inching toward today’s forecasted high temperature of 127 F.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect at Death Valley National Park through the weekend and into next week. Death Valley is expected to reach 129 F on Sunday, which would set a new daily record at the site. Death Valley's all-time record high of 134 F, however, was set in July 10, 1913.
Why you should avoid alcohol during heat waves
Cold beer or frozen cocktails may seem like the perfect way to cope with soaring temperatures and punishing humidity, but it’s actually best to lay off the booze during heat waves, according to experts.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that even under normal circumstances, it dehydrates the body and causes people to lose fluids. During heat waves, the risk of dehydration is even greater, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Caffeinated beverages can have similar effects, experts have said.
In other words, just because you’re drinking fluids doesn’t necessarily mean you’re staying hydrated. Experts recommend drinking plenty of water to stay cool and avoid heat-related illnesses. And if you are having beer, wine or cocktails when it's sweltering out, it's best to drink 8 to 12 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink consumed, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
New records on track as Southwest swelters
PHOENIX — A dangerous heat wave threatened a wide swath of the Southwest with potentially deadly temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday as some cooling centers extended their hours and emergency rooms prepared to treat more people with heat-related illnesses.
“Near record temperatures are expected this weekend!” the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned in a tweet, advising people to follow its heat safety tips such as drinking plenty of water and checking on family members and neighbors.
“Don’t be a statistic!” the weather service in Tucson advised, noting extreme heat can be deadly. “It CAN happen to YOU!”
About 200 hydration stations distributing bottles of water and cooling centers where thousands of people can rest in air-conditioned spaces opened Saturday in public spaces like libraries, churches and businesses around the Phoenix area.
Enter El Niño
Record-breaking temperatures and severe heat waves on multiple continents, all on the heels of the hottest June on record? El Niño is partly to blame, along with climate change.
Scientists had predicted that the return of El Niño conditions would make for a hot summer for the Northern Hemisphere. And so far, that forecast has come true.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern marked by changes in the strength or direction of trade winds that cause waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to become warmer than usual. These events strongly influence global temperatures, rainfall patterns, hurricanes and other climate anomalies and extremes.
Across the Northern Hemisphere this summer, El Niño conditions are expected to boost temperatures in an already-warming world, making heat waves more likely to occur, and more severe when they do.
Meanwhile, across the pond ...
It's not just the U.S. that is baking under extreme heat this weekend. Southern Europe has been hit with high heat and humidity as part of a potentially record-breaking heat wave that is forecast to linger into next week.
Temperatures in Italy, Spain and Greece are expected to climb well into the triple digits, with some forecasters saying that parts of southern Italy could reach 118 F in the coming days.
Parts of China, Japan and North Africa are also experieincing high heat and humidity.
Phoenix hits 110 degrees F before noon
Extreme heat increases wildfire risk in the West
Scorching conditions in the West are elevating the risk of wildfires across the region.
In Southern California, fire crews have been fighting three separate brush fires in Riverside County. One, known as the Rabbit Fire, has burned 4,500 acres and is only 5% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Evacuation warnings remain in effect in Moreno Valley for the Reche Fire, which has burned 437 acres and is 30% contained.
Federal, state and local officials also instituted fire restrictions in southern Nevada on Friday, as heat builds across the region. Among other things, the restrictions prohibit:
- Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire (using wood, charcoal or any other material), campfire or stove fire, except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel outside of a developed fee campground or picnic area except by permit.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or when stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
- Operating or parking a vehicle or other motorized equipment over or on top of dried or cured vegetation.
- Welding, metal grinding or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame except by permit.
People and pets seek shade and cool as Europe sizzles under heat wave
ROME — Scorching temperatures across Europe forced the closure of the Acropolis in Athens for a second day as officials warned Saturday of even hotter weather next week, when the mercury is forecast to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in several popular Mediterranean tourist destinations.
In cities, those venturing out at all drenched themselves in fountains while others sought out pools, the sea or shade in hopes of relief from the heat wave caused by Cerberus. The high-pressure anticyclone coming from the south was named after the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology who guarded the gates to the underworld.
Fifteen cities in Italy, most of them in the country’s center and south, were under heat advisories signaling a high level of risk for older adults, the infirm, infants and other vulnerable people. Temperatures remained in the mid-30s C (mid-90s F) across much of the Italian peninsula Saturday but were expected to reach between 38 C (100.4 F) and 40 C (104 C) in Sardinia, Sicily and Puglia.
The cities under alerts included the high-tourism destinations of Bologna, Florence and Rome. The capital hit a high of 35 C (95 F) Saturday and was expected to see temperatures as high as 42 C (107.6 F) on Tuesday when other Italian cities could be even hotter.