Extreme heat intensifies across south-west US
Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, has reached at least as high as 128F (53.9C)
LAS VEGAS, July 17: A heat dome over the US southwest has translated into extreme heat warnings from coast to coast, which continue to affect more than 110 million people. Temperature records could be broken in as many as 38 cities.
In Las Vegas, the intense heatwave is threatening on Sunday to break or tie the city's record high of 117F (47.2C). It comes as soaring temperatures are also hitting southern Europe and Canada is battling the worst season of wildfires in its history.
Elsewhere in the southwestern US, hundreds of firefighters have been battling brush fires in blistering heat and low humidity on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Temperatures in Death Valley in California hit 128F (53.9C) on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). It is the site of the hottest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth: 134F (56.7C).
The usually crowded streets of Las Vegas were considerably emptier than normal on Sunday, with security guards guarding the fountains of upscale casinos and hotels to prevent people from jumping in. The famous strip was a quiet inferno. Some people walked outside, but mostly just to cross the street to the next casino. And those who did exit were mostly intoxicated.
Inside the casinos though, business continued. The air conditioning was blasting so high, people were wearing jumpers to stay warm, and there was no indication of devastating temperatures, other than the people walking in off the street with sweat streaming down their faces.
El Paso, in Texas, has seen temperatures of 100.4F (38C) and above for more than a month now, with no respite in sight.
In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have remained above 109.4F (43C) for 17 days. Thick cloud cover on Sunday meant the city was granted a modest reprieve from recent peaks, but daytime temperatures still reached highs of 114F (45.5C).
The heat is set to continue for the foreseeable future, and authorities are warning that vulnerable people - including children, pregnant women and the elderly - are at serious risk of heat-related illness.
(BBC)
