Widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories are in effect from the interior Northwest south into the Desert Southwest as temperatures soar above 100 degrees in many areas.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – A major heat wave will continue across most of the western U.S. much of this week with"dangerously" hot temperatures expected, the National Weather Service said. Widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories are in effect from the interior Northwest south into the Desert Southwest as temperatures soar above 100 degrees in many areas.
– the hottest temperature the area has recorded since July 1913, according to the Weather Service. If verified, it would be Death Valley's hottest temperature ever recorded in August. That is also among the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the world, the World Meteorological Organization said. Little break in the heat is likely, forecasters said, as temperatures are expected to reach record levels over much of the Southwest for the next few days. "High temperatures are forecast to soar well past the century mark for the hottest locations in the interior Pacific Northwest, while temperatures at some locations in the Desert Southwest will exceed 120 degrees," the Weather Service said.'Extreme fire activity' sparks rare weather warning at Loyalton Fire near Reno Across California, the extreme heat strained the state's electricity grid over the weekend and threatened to trigger another round of rolling power outages Monday and Tuesday. Electricity demands will be pushed to the max into at least the middle of this week as temperatures reach levels 15 to 30 degrees above late-summer averages, AccuWeather said.calling for voluntary electricity conservation through Wednesday and warning of rolling blackouts amid the record-breaking heat. The California Independent System Operator said consumers should be prepared for likely rolling outages during the late afternoons and early evenings through Wednesday because there is not enough energy to meet demand during the heat wave. California ISO ordered the first rolling outages in nearly 20 years on Friday when it directed utilities around the state to shed their power loads. The state's three biggest utilities – Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric – turned off power to more than 410,000 homes and businesses for about an hour at a time until the emergency declaration ended 3½ hours later. The move came as temperatures around the state hit triple digits in many areas and air conditioning use soared. The power grid is mostly stressed in the late afternoon and early evening because of higher demand and solar energy production falling. The state tried to prepare for the expected rise in electricity use by urging conservation and trying to buy more power. The blistering heat was also a concern for firefighters battling several wildfires and dozens of smaller ones sparked early Sunday by a rare lightning storm. "Monsoon thunderstorms will continue to be suppressed and storms that form will not produce heavy rain, so lightning can trigger more fires," AccuWeather meteorologist Tyler Roys said. That will be especially true in portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Idaho into early this week. The heat wave, with little to no relief overnight, also elevated concerns about heat stroke and other hot-weather illnesses. The weather phenomena responsible for the sizzling conditions is an expansive area of high pressure, which can be referred to as a"heat dome," AccuWeather said. Underneath areas of high pressure, the air sinks. Sinking air compresses and heats up, causing temperatures to soar. Atagi reported from Palm Springs, Rice from Bethesda, Maryland. Contributing: Melissa Daniels; Nicole Hayden; The Associated Press
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