Several cities in the Southwest are expected to face scorching temperatures this week, according to the National Weather Service, as they brace for one of the last potentially record-breaking heat waves in a summer filled with high temperatures.
Excessive heat watches are in effect until Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty ... [+]
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for much of the Southwest including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix that remains in effect until Friday night, though Thursday is expected to be the hottest day this week.
A few daily records could be broken “through the beginning of this weekend,” the National Weather Service said in a statement, though it did not specify where the records could be recorded.
Much of Los Angeles will experience temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, with parts of the San Fernando Valley having a 20% chance of temperatures reaching upward of 115 degrees on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Phoenix’s afternoon temperatures on Thursday are expected to reach between 103 and 112 degrees and could break the area’s record of most days over 110 degrees in a year, which currently stands at 54, according to a local ABC affiliate.
Las Vegas’ high temperatures are predicted to hit about 106 degrees on the Strip, with Death Valley temperatures forecast to reach up to 120 degrees.
The National Weather Service expects the highest risk of heat-related health impacts on Thursday, with many areas in the Southwest under major or extreme heat risks.
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The East Coast is forecast to experience normal or below average temperatures while the Southwest is scorched this week, with temperatures around 75 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Los Angeles opened five additional temporary cooling centers this week, which will add on to the city’s large number of standard cooling centers.
This week’s heat wave coincides with forecasts earlier this year that predicted above-average temperatures for the summer across the Southwest, Midwest, Northeast and Great Plains. A heat wave in July brought persistent record-breaking temperatures to the Southwest, which recorded a nine-day streak of highs of at least 120 degrees, according to The Washington Post, which noted Las Vegas had its hottest summer ever this year with an average of 96.2 degrees. Record daily high temperatures were either tied or exceeded in July in places like Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Boston and Raleigh. Worldwide, July was nearly the hottest month on record
World Records Hottest Day Ever—Here Are The U.S. Cities Breaking Heat Records This Summer (Forbes)