A dangerous heat wave is scorching much of the US. Weather experts predict record-setting temps
PORTLAND, Oregon — A slow moving and potentially record breaking heat wave is spreading across the western U.S., the National Weather Service said, sending many residents seeking a cool haven from the dangerously high temperaturesThe Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US are also in for a sweltering heat, with oppressive heat and humidity expected to persist through Saturday.
Temperature records are expected to be broken during the heat wave. Much of the West Coast is expected to see temperatures soar into the teens, or 8 to 16 degrees Celsius (46 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average, according to the National Weather Service.
“The duration of this heat is also worrying, as the scorching, above-average temperatures are forecast to continue into next week,” the weather service said.
In the Portland, Oregon, suburb of Gresham, Sherri Thompson, 52, waited in her car with her 14-year-old Chihuahua, Kiwani, for a cooling center to open late Friday morning. Thompson has lived in her car for three years and can only run the air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time because the engine overheats.
Thompson said the high temperatures were causing health problems, as she had been hospitalized in the past for heat stroke.
“I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and I worry. I don’t want to get another heat stroke and everything triggers my anxiety tremendously,” she said.
Inside the air-conditioned center, Multnomah County spokeswoman Julia Comnes oversaw county staff and people working with a local homeless services agency as they lined up thin mattresses in rows on the floor and set up cots for people with disabilities. She said the space had a capacity of up to 80 people.
“One of the dangers that comes with this weekend in particular is that it’s still quite early in the season. We’ve had quite a cool June, so our bodies haven’t quite got used to the heat yet,” she said. “For people who live outside or are more vulnerable, having a cooling space like this is really important to just cool down for a couple of hours.”
The blazing weather in the Portland area is expected to continue at least through Monday, National Weather Service meteorologist Clinton Rockey said. If temperatures remain in the triple digits (well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit) through Tuesday, the region will tie a record last seen in July 1941, with five consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees, Rockey said.
Duration is a problem: many homes in the area lack air conditioning, and the 24-hour hot weather means people’s bodies can’t cool down enough at night. The problem is even worse in many urban environments, where concrete and paving can trap heat, effectively acting as an oven.
“That’s what drives people crazy,” Rockey said. “It’s going to be annoying. And unfortunately for some people, if you don’t have a good shelter, it can be a very challenging, life-threatening situation.”
In Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, at least 13 confirmed heat-related deaths have been reported this year. The causes of more than 160 other suspected heat-related deaths are still under investigation, according to the county’s most recent report of such deaths through June 29.
That doesn’t include the death of a 10-year-old boy earlier this week in Phoenix, who suffered a “heat-related medical event” while hiking with his family at South Mountain Park and Preserve, Phoenix police said.
Among the extremes, the forecast for Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park calls for daytime highs of 129 degrees (53.8 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, then around 130 (54.44 C) through Wednesday. The official world record for the hottest temperature recorded on Earth was 134 degrees (56.67 C) in Death Valley in July 1913, but some experts dispute that measurement, saying the real record was 130, recorded there in July 2021.
In Bullhead City, Arizona, temperatures had already reached 111 degrees (44.4 C) by 11 a.m. Friday. The city opened a few cooling centers for seniors and others, but locals seemed to take it in stride.
“While this is a heat wave and we urge everyone to be cautious, we typically don’t see a large turnout at our cooling centers unless there is a power outage,” Bullhead City spokesperson Mackenzie Covert said Friday. “Our community is hot every summer. Our residents are somewhat aware of that. They all have working air conditioners.”
Figure skaters hit the ice at the Reno Ice Rink in Nevada starting at 6 a.m. Friday, general manager Kevin Sunde said. By the time the rink closes at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Sunde expected nearly 300 people to have turned up, with more parents than usual hanging around to watch their kids’ hockey practice.
“They may not go out on the ice themselves, but they enjoy the coolness,” Sunde said. “We’re the only ice field within an hour’s drive.”
In Norfolk, Virginia, Kristin Weisenborn set up her table at an outdoor farmers market to sell sourdough bread. The temperature hovered just below triple digits, but the 58 percent humidity in the air made it feel more like 114 degrees (46 C), according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s so warm, I hope there are a lot of people who want to buy my bread,” said Weisenborn, 42, whose bakery Krid’s Crumbs is based in Virginia Beach.
“Otherwise we’ll just be standing here sweating,” she said, adding that unsold bread will be donated or frozen.
Despite the damp, immobile layer hanging between the tables, people were already buying bread from Weisenborn when the market started.
“It’s warm, but it’s July,” Weisenborn added. “Better than snow, I guess.”
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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporters Scott Sonner in Sparks, Nevada; Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina; John Antczak in Los Angeles; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; and Ben Finely in Norfolk, Virginia contributed.