Millions of people in the western United States are currently facing excessive heat warnings as a heat dome has caused temperatures to soar into the triple digits. This extreme weather poses a significant challenge for firefighters who are actively combatting the corral wildfire in central California, while meteorologists are closely monitoring the situation.
Excessive heat warnings are in effect for multiple days across various regions, including the Sierra Nevada, parts of southern California, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. These warnings are expected to remain in place at least through Thursday and Friday, with over 100 temperature records anticipated to be broken for both daytime highs and overnight lows.
Notably, cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, which are accustomed to hot temperatures, are experiencing unusually high levels of heat for this early in the season. Las Vegas, for instance, could see some of its earliest 110-degree temperatures on record, despite having an average high of 96 degrees at this time of year. Similarly, Phoenix, with an average temperature of around 100 degrees, is bracing for temperatures reaching 110 to 115 degrees, along with Palm Springs where temperatures are expected to be 10 degrees above average.
The heatwave is affecting a vast area, with temperatures running 10 to 15 degrees above average from Sacramento to Vegas and Salt Lake City. The extreme heat is causing major to extreme impacts across southern California, parts of Arizona, and even stretching into southern Texas. These scorching temperatures in early June are heightening the risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and pets.
Las Vegas, in particular, has not experienced a daily cold low temperature in 25 years, underscoring the trend of more heat records being broken than cold records. The city has seen a significant increase in temperatures, with a 5.6-degree rise since 1970 and 40 more warm days in the summer season.
