Scorching heat dome to intensify temperatures in the Southwest, following a sweltering 122-degree record in Death Valley.
Undergoing an extended period of unnatural warmth is a mighty heat dome - a large high-pressure area that sits on top of an area, traps air and heats it up with plentiful sunlight for days or weeks on end.
Multiple daily high temperature records were shattered earlier this week in the West as the heat dome intensified. Even more records could succumb through the weekend.
The National Weather Service asserts, "More records might be equaled or beaten as excessive heat covers California's Central Valley and the vast majority of the Desert Southwest."
Heat alerts have been issued for more than 25 million individuals across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. Many of these alerts will continue into the forthcoming days. Los Angeles and Death Valley have alerts scheduled through Saturday.
Already, the searing heat has claimed lives. Since the past weekend, various individuals in different parts of the United States have lost their lives due to heat-related ailments.
Numerous cities could witness record-breaking temperatures this week. A multitude of temperature records weretoppled on Thursday in states like California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Las Vegas witnessed many record-breaking temperatures, with the city reaching 111 degrees on Thursday eclipsing the previous highest temperature of 110 degrees in 2010.
In California, the mercury spiked to a scorching 122 degrees in Death Valley, eclipsing a record that had been set in 1996. Fresno saw a 121-year-old record tied on Thursday, as the high temperature reached 107 degrees. Temperatures also climbed to 106 degrees in the Sacramento area.
For Phoenix, the daily temperature record got shattered on Thursday with a sweltering 113 degrees. In Flagstaff, temperatures could increase from 105 to 111 degrees by Friday night.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, Utah foresees early-season heat, resulting in temperatures surpassing normal by as much as 20 degrees through Saturday.
Numerous casualties in the US from heat-related illnesses
The National Weather Service states that excessive heat is the foremost weather-related fatalities in the US.
"This is particularly true in metropolitan centers, where population density, the urban heat island, and building architecture exacerbate the repercussions of intense heat," the weather service comments. "A combination of high heat and humidity can lead to heat-related ailments, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke."
Four migrants perished from heat stroke and dehydration under extreme heat conditions on the US-Mexico border last weekend, according to the US Border Patrol, El Paso Sector.
In Maryland, a 59-year-old man passed away due to heat-related complications in Prince George's County, officials reported Wednesday. Additional details regarding the man's passing, which was the state's first heat-related death of the year, were not given.
Firefighting efforts to quench a blaze in California's Napa County on Wednesday encountered challenges due to the sweltering temperatures. Four firefighters were transferred to hospitals for injuries related to difficult terrain and "scorching summer conditions," according to CAL Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit. Fully recoveries are anticipated for all four.
Phoenix first responders were compelled to hospitalize 11 individuals due to heat exhaustion as they attended a Donald Trump rally at Dream City Church on Thursday.
With millions susceptible to heat-related ailments across the nation, officials in several states endeavor to maintain public safety amid the suffocating heat. In California, cooling centers have been organized for individuals affected by the triple-digit heat. In Texas, battling both extreme storms and sweltering temperatures, a state disaster declaration endures active.
Extreme heat anticipated to endure into the weekend
Several daily records may collapse on Friday as the heat preserves its grip. Las Vegas is predicted to heat up to 109 degrees, which would tie the record for June 6. Albuquerque could reach 100 degrees, equal to the record set in 1981.
The heat will keep going for the weekend before softening somewhat early the following week. However, certain regions in the West, known for their scorching heat, will still encounter temperatures 10 degrees above average.
Las Vegas is at "extreme" risk from the heat through Saturday. This highest level on the heat risk scale indicates that residents without adequate cooling and hydration will be afflicted, and "topics will arise most health systems, heat-sensitive industries, and infrastructure."
Several major metropolitan areas in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas will encounter a "major" level 3 out of 4 heat risk.
California could experience high temperatures up to 108 degrees, parts of Nevada and Arizona may experience high temperatures between 105 and 114 degrees, and Death Valley's extremities could once more surpass 120 degrees. Warm nighttime lows in the region will create difficulties for the vulnerable to endure the extreme conditions.
Heat will remain hazardous for the Southern High Plains and South Texas through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Summerlike heat will spread northward Friday and make its way to the Northwest. Records could tumble in areas of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from Friday through the weekend.
While not record-breaking, Seattle will battle high temperatures in the upper 70s Friday and could approach 80 degrees on Saturday. Highs such as these are 10 degrees warmer than what's customary for early June.
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The extreme heat is expected to persist, potentially breaking more records in various cities. This could lead to an increase in heat-related illnesses and casualties, as highlighted by the National Weather Service.
The ongoing heat dome, responsible for the intense temperatures, may cause more record-breaking highs in California's Central Valley and the Desert Southwest.
