American cities have broken all-time heat records as the country battles scorching temperatures, with 10 percent of the U.S. under extreme weather warnings.
Dozens of locations in the western and Pacific Northwest, including Nevada, Palm Springs and Medford, tied or broke previous heat records with temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
An extreme heat warning, the highest alert issued by the National Weather Service, is in effect for about 36 million people, or about 10 percent of the population.
The heatwave is expected to continue until Monday, with temperatures on the east coast rising above 38 degrees Celsius.
The dangerous temperatures already caused a motorcyclist to die in Death Valley on Saturday, when temperatures rose to 53 degrees Celsius.
Dozens of locations in the western and Pacific Northwest, including Las Vegas, Nevada, Palm Springs, California, and Medford, Oregon, tied or broke previous heat records with temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The West Coast has borne the brunt of the heat wave so far, with Palm Springs, California, hitting its highest temperature ever on Friday at 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Las Vegas also reached a temperature of 49 degrees Celsius on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 47 degrees Celsius. Death Valley even reached 52 degrees Celsius.
In the West, temperatures are steadily rising to 40-43 degrees Celsius. In Medford, Oregon, it even reached 42 degrees Celsius on Friday, breaking the previous record of 40 degrees Celsius, which had stood for 113 years.
Even in San Francisco, which is normally cooled by the ocean, temperatures rose above 80 degrees Fahrenheit last weekend.
The high temperatures already pose a serious health risk and will continue to do so for some time this week.
On Saturday, a visitor to Death Valley National Park died from heat exposure, while another person was hospitalized.
They were both part of the same motorcycle group that rode through the Badwater Basin area during the scorching weather.
A person wipes sweat from his forehead in Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, where someone died Saturday
People seek relief in mist along the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday
The person who died has not been identified. The other motorcyclist was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for “severe heat illness,” the statement said.
Due to the high temperatures, emergency medical helicopters were unable to reach the scene, as aircraft generally cannot fly safely in temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius), officials said.
The other four members of the party were treated on the spot
Officials warn that heat, illness and injuries are cumulative and can build up over a day or days.
“In addition to the inability to cool down while riding due to the high ambient temperatures, exploring Death Valley by motorcycle in such hot conditions is also difficult. You must also wear heavy safety gear to minimize injuries in the event of an accident,” the park’s statement said.
Temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit were common in Oregon, and several records were broken, including in Salem, which reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, surpassing the 100 degrees Fahrenheit set in 1960.
Temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius were common on the wetter east coast, although no extreme heat warnings were in place for Sunday.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and stay in touch with family and neighbors,” a weather report for the Baltimore region said.
‘Young children and pets should not be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.’
Rare heat warnings were even extended to higher elevations, such as around Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. The weather service in Reno, Nevada, warned of “severe heat hazards, even in the mountains.”
“How hot is it? Well, high temperatures in (western Nevada and northeastern California) won’t be below 100 degrees (37.8 C) until next weekend,” the service posted online. “And unfortunately, there won’t be much relief tonight either.”
Even more extreme temperatures are expected soon, including a possible 130 F (54.4 C) by midweek in Furnace Creek, California, in Death Valley.
The high temperatures have already posed a serious health risk, which will continue this week.
A helicopter dropping water drops flames on the advancing Lake Fire in Los Olivos, Calif., Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
An egg sits in a small frying pan at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center in Death Valley National Park, Calif., Sunday, July 7, 2024. Weather experts predict a heat wave could break previous records across the U.S., including in Death Valley. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
The highest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth was 134 degrees in July 1913 in Death Valley. Some experts dispute this measurement, saying the real record was 130 degrees, recorded in July 2021.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Beryl is expected to hit Texas on Sunday with a combination of storm surge, rainfall and devastating wind gusts, officials said.
There is a risk of dangerous flooding in some areas, where 20 to 30 centimeters of rainfall could fall.
There have already been a few showers reported, prompting evacuations for a number of coastal towns, including those in Refugio County. There, cities such as Bayside, Refugio and Woodsboro have issued mandatory evacuations, affecting about 6,700 residents.
Hurricane recently hit Mexico, killing at least 11 people in the Caribbean. The National Weather Service says the hurricane is expected to hit the U.S. Monday morning.
Storm surge of more than six feet (2 meters) could reach areas north of the impact zone, near the coastal city of Brownsville.