RENO, Nev. (AP) — The United States Southwest is currently in the grips of the first heat wave of the year, with temperatures soaring past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) from California to Arizona. Records have been broken across the region, and the heat wave is expected to continue for at least another day on Friday.
Even though the official start of summer is still two weeks away, around half of Arizona and Nevada are under an excessive heat alert. The National Weather Service has extended the alert until Friday evening, and in Las Vegas, it has been extended through Saturday. This early heatwave in Las Vegas has made it the hottest at this time of year on record.
The weather service in Las Vegas has warned of high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal, with record highs expected through Friday. Temperatures will begin to decrease over the weekend but will still be above normal into the following week.
Nine-year-old Eleanor Wallace, who was visiting Phoenix from northern Utah with her mother Megan Wallace, expressed how hot it was on Thursday. In Phoenix, where a new record high of 113 F (45 C) was set, the conditions were described as “dangerously hot” by the National Weather Service.
While there have been no reported heat-related deaths or serious injuries, at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Phoenix, 11 people suffered from heat exhaustion and were taken to the hospital. In Las Vegas, where a new record of 111 F (43.8 C) was set, the Clark County Fire Department responded to at least 12 calls for heat exposure since midnight Wednesday.
The heatwave has also affected other areas in Arizona, California, and Nevada, with several records being broken by a degree or two. Even places in higher elevations have experienced unusually hot weather earlier than usual. Reno, for example, saw a record high of 98 F (37 C) on Thursday.
The forecast calls for mild cooling region-wide over the weekend, but temperatures will still be in the triple digits in central and southern Arizona, with highs reaching up to 110 F (43 C).
Despite the sweltering heat, Oscar Tomasio of Cleveland, Ohio, proposed to his girlfriend Megan McCracken during a hike in Phoenix. They had planned a sunrise hike in an effort to beat the heat and enjoy the beautiful views.
Megan Wallace, the mother of the birthday girl from Utah, also commented on the heat, saying they were prepared with water bottles but still found it hotter than they were used to.
Associated Press writers Anita Snow and Ty O’Neil in Phoenix, and Rio Yamat and Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
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