Las Vegas could break its all-time high of 117 degrees on Sunday as millions across the US suffer from a week-long heatwave.
The City of Las Vegas has asked residents and visitors to stay indoors between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends if possible.
An influx of elderly residents and dehydrated construction workers have hit the city’s emergency rooms in recent days as the city burns in a mounting heat dome.
The National Weather Service has put more than 90 million people under heat warning.
“We’ve been talking about this heat wave for a week now, and now the most intense phase is beginning,” the National Weather Service said on Friday.
Hundreds of firefighters have been dispatched to battle three separate bushfires that broke out in Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, on Friday afternoon
Las Vegas could break its record high of 117 degrees on Sunday
“Multiple record high temperatures are likely and air quality problems will be common in several areas of the United States,” the service said in a bulletin.
It added: “Temperatures will reach levels that would pose a health risk and potentially fatal to anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” it said.
The sweltering heat is forecast to intensify in Nevada, Arizona and California over the weekend, with desert temperatures soaring to over 120 degrees in some areas.
“Make no mistake: this heat is deadly, and prolonged exposure to it is deadly,” said Dr. Matthew Levy of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told CNN.
As of Friday afternoon, three separate bushfires had broken out across Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, and hundreds of firefighters were still battling the blazes as of Saturday.
The fires are all within 40 miles of each other and have caused nearly 1,000 homes to be evacuated.
So far, no injuries have been reported, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Both Death Valley National Park in California and Saguaro National Park in Arizona issued warnings advising people not to hike after 10 a.m. local time.
The National Weather Service has put more than 90 million people under heat warning
Residents and visitors log on to Past Mister in Las Vegas, where authorities have advised people not to go out between the hours of 9am and 6pm on weekends
The California fires are all within 40 miles of each other and have caused nearly 1,000 homes to be evacuated
So far, no injuries have been reported, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said
On the east coast, Vermont is grappling with the aftermath of historic flooding that has killed at least one man
Storms this week have dumped up to two months’ worth of rainfall in parts of Vermont in just a few days
Texas authorities at Big Bend National Park said, “These are extremely dangerous/deadly temperatures!” Hikers should stay off the trails in the afternoon. drink enough Limit your exposure.’
It comes after a stepdad and one of his stepsons died while hiking in extreme heat in a Texas park last month.
A 57-year-old woman also died while trying to hike eight miles in Grand Canyon National Park in 100-degree heat in early July.
Phoenix also saw rising temperatures that broke records, recording its 15th straight day of temperatures of 110 degrees or more on Friday.
“This weekend will see some of the most severe and hottest conditions we’ve seen,” the city’s chief heat officer David Hondula told NPR.
“I think it’s time for maximum vigilance in the community,” he added.
On the east coast, Vermont is grappling with the aftermath of historic flooding that has killed at least one man.
Another woman died in upstate New York when she was swept away by floodwaters in Fort Montgomery, a small community on the Hudson River about 45 miles north of New York City.
Officials called this week’s flooding the worst natural disaster in Vermont since the 1927 floods
Vermont residents faced devastating damage to their homes and property this week
People in Las Vegas try to cool off as a searing heat dome descends on the city
Storms this week have brought down up to two months of rainfall in just a few days in parts of the state.
Officials called this week’s floods the state’s worst natural disaster since the 1927 floods.
In addition to roads, houses and shops, farms were also badly hit. The flooding came shortly after many farmers suffered a hard freeze in May.
It is expected to “destroy a large portion of our farm produce and forage,” state Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts said at a news conference.
Vermont Emergency Management officials rushed to help communities, and National Guard troops were also dispatched to help with the relief effort.