More than 25 million people from California’s Central Valley to Texas are under a heat warning Friday. More extreme temperature forecasts prompted the highest levels of the National Weather Service Heat hazard Forecasting, which assesses the risk to human health.
Officials urged people to stay safe in the heat by limiting time outdoors, staying hydrated, and wearing light and light-colored clothing. Do not leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.
For the second day in a row, temperatures were recorded at the highest level on the index, which measures the impact of human-caused climate change.
The hottest spots of a heat wave
Forecasters predict the worst of the heat will be centered on the Desert Southwest, California’s Central Valley, and West and South Texas on Friday. This weekend, the heat is expected to moderate in central California, but will persist across parts of the desert southwest and Texas, while spreading into parts of Oklahoma.
Notable calendar day record highs broken or tied on Thursday include Death Valley (122); Needles, California (115); Phoenix (113); Las Vegas (111); Fresno, California (107); Palmdale, California (103); Amarillo, Tex. (102); Bishop, California (102); Sacramento (101); Kanab, Utah (101); Reno, Nev. (98); and Flagstaff, Ariz. (91).
Here’s a state-by-state roundup of forecasts and records already tied or broken:
Phoenix is forecast to reach 110 degrees on Friday after reaching 113 degrees on Thursday, breaking the previous calendar day record of 111. 103 to 108 only slightly cooler Saturday through Wednesday.
Temperatures in Tucson should climb to near 105 on Friday and Saturday before slightly cooler highs near 100 on Sunday and Monday, then warm back to near 105 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Death Valley is forecast to reach 121 degrees on Friday and 118 on Saturday, after setting a calendar-day record high of 122 on Thursday with highs of 123 both days.
In Central California, Fresno and Bakersfield are forecast to reach near 105 on Friday, before cooling into the mid-to-upper 90s this weekend, ranking No. 3 out of 4 heat risks. But they will cross 100 again by Tuesday and Wednesday.
Temperatures in Las Vegas are forecast to reach 110 degrees on Friday after reaching 111 degrees on Thursday. Thursday’s low of 85 was two degrees warmer than the previous warmest low for the date.
The city’s heat risk forecast remains at Level 4 through Saturday, which is described as “infrequent and/or prolonged periods of extreme heat.” While Las Vegas will cool off a bit, next week should be several degrees warmer than normal, with temperatures expected to range from 103 to 108 Saturday through Wednesday, compared to the average early June high in the 90s.
In nearby Henderson, A The blacktop surface registered a temperature of 162 degrees Thursday. “When it’s really hot outside, blacktops & sidewalks can turn into roasting pans in the afternoon, so it’s best to walk your four-legged friends on chilly mornings,” said the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. In X.
The Albuquerque 100 registers as a Level 3 heat risk on both Friday and Saturday, forecast to reach a record high of 100. 100 for the first time this year Thursday. That was one degree short of tying the record for that date. Daytime highs will be in the low 90s and upper 80s on Sunday and Monday.
Roswell’s forecast highs are near 105 degrees on Friday and Saturday, before cooling into the mid-90s on Sunday, with calendar day highs of 105 to 106.
Oklahoma City and Tulsa are forecast to reach the mid to upper 90s on Saturday, briefly reaching a Level 3 heat risk before cool daytime highs in the 80s on Sunday.
El Paso is forecast to reach 106 degrees on Friday and 103 degrees on Saturday, both days registering as a Level 4 heat risk. Friday’s high could come close to a calendar-day record of 108. Then temperatures should approach 100 Sunday through Tuesday.
Daytime highs near 100 are forecast for Friday and Saturday in Amarillo, which is at Heat Risk Level 3. The city tied its calendar-day record of 102 on Thursday, which is also the record for Friday. Cooler highs in the 80s and 70s are expected Sunday through Tuesday.
Both Amarillo and nearby Pantex experienced so-called heat bursts on Thursday The temperature rose by about 10 to 15 degrees in a few minutes The wind blew under a dying thunderstorm.
Heat is again at the top of the Climate Index
The ongoing heat wave is a direct result of a high-pressure heat dome that has scorched Mexico for weeks — resulting in The country’s hottest and driest May on record – before expanding to parts of the North and West America this week. Such thermal domes compress the clouds, compressing the air beneath them and heating the air.
For the second day in a row, the Climate Center Climate Change Index It reached a Category 5 across much of the southwestern United States on Friday. This is the highest level of the index, indicating that human-caused climate change has increased such warming fivefold.
