Summer arrived yesterday in the northern hemisphere and it announced its presence with a record-setting heatwave that is still consuming much of the American West.
Parts of California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado are currently under an excessive heat warning, with temperatures expected to peak today.
Yesterday, the heat in many areas reached record highs, with temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Palm Springs reached a record temperature for June with 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The Weather Channel also reports that Las Vegas and Death Valley had daily record highs as well, with 115 and 128 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.
People living in areas with these extreme temperatures are encouraged to stay hydrated, avoid being outside for long stretches of time, and generally, stay as cool as possible. There were 45 heat-related deaths last year in the United States.
But record temperatures aren’t the only danger that people in the West are facing. The hot, dry conditions are horrible for humans, but excellent for wildfires which are popping up in the region.
As of this writing, there are eight active fires currently burning in California, some very close to population centers like Los Angeles.
One fire, started by a fatal car crash forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes in the Californian towns of Azusa and Duarte.
