US West braces for more days of record-breaking heat

By Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) – The western United States is grappling with another round of record-breaking heat as a wave is forecast to bring temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) to cities from Southern California to northern Idaho through midweek.

About 30 million people are under heat watches or extreme heat warnings in effect through Wednesday, with some forecasts of temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), the National Weather Service (NWS) said Sunday. Those states include parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Central Oregon and parts of Washington are also at increased risk of wildfires due to the warm, dry weather, the NWS said.

Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires in Oregon, including the Lone Rock Fire that has burned more than 116,000 acres (470 square kilometers) in the northern part of the state, the Oregon State Fire Marshal said. About 40% is contained. Thunderstorms moving through the state could complicate the response, officials said.

The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office ordered some residents to evacuate Saturday as the Durkee Fire spreads across eastern Oregon. In western Canada, wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia also forced evacuations over the weekend.

Research shows that fossil fuel-driven climate change is contributing to dangerous heat waves around the world, with officials warning of major health risks associated with extreme heat, including heat stroke.

“For at least the next four days, it looks pretty warm across much of the western U.S., and for at least the next two days, there is certainly potential for record high temperatures across parts of the interior Pacific Northwest and into the desert Southwest,” said NWS meteorologist Bob Oravec.

The northwestern U.S. will experience the biggest weather anomalies, including much of Washington state, where temperatures will be 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year, Oravec said. Major cities like Seattle and Portland will be spared the extreme heat.

Temperatures are expected to soar above 100 F (38 C), breaking records in cities including Yakima, Spokane and Mack, Washington. Boise, Idaho, could tie a record of 107 F (42 C), Oravec said.

Much of the West Coast will see temperatures about 10 degrees above normal. Las Vegas could tie a record high of 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) on Sunday, while Death Valley National Park in California is expected to top 120 degrees F (49 degrees C).

“On Monday, the records will drop, as will the potential to break records, but that doesn’t mean it will be significantly cooler. It will still be well above average in the same general areas,” Oravec said.

Records were broken Saturday in Baker, Oregon, and Alturas, California, Oravec said.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York City; Editing by Mary Milliken and Chris Reese)