Las Vegas may break heat record as US endures scorching temperatures: NPR
A man walks along a sidewalk during misters on Friday in downtown Phoenix.
Matt York/AP
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A man walks along a sidewalk during misters on Friday in downtown Phoenix.
Matt York/AP
LAS VEGAS — Visitors to Las Vegas on Friday stepped outside for a moment to take pictures and were hit by blast furnace air. But most people want to spend their holidays in a completely different climate – at casinos where the chilly air conditioning may require a light sweater.
Meanwhile, emergency room doctors witnessed a different world as dehydrated construction workers, passed out elderly residents and others suffered in an intense heat wave that threatened to break the city’s record high of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 degrees Celsius) this weekend.
Few places in the sultry Southwest display the surreal contrast between indoor and outdoor living like Las Vegas, a neon-lit city rich in resorts, casinos, swimming pools, indoor nightclubs and shopping. Tens of millions of others across California and the Southwest also struggled for ways to stay cool and safe from the dangers of extreme heat.
“We’ve been talking about this building heat wave for a week now, and now the most intense period begins,” the National Weather Service wrote Friday.
Nearly a third of Americans were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings. The fading heat wave was forecast to worsen this weekend for Nevada, Arizona and California, where desert temperatures were forecast to rise in parts above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius) during the day, and remain in the 90s F (above 32.2 C). ) over the night.
Sergio Cajamarca, his family and their dog, Max, were among those lining up to pose for photos in front of the city’s iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. The temperature before noon already reached 100 F (37.8 C).
“I like the city, especially at night. It’s just the heat,” said Cajamarca, 46, an electrician from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
His daughter, Kathy Zhagui, 20, offered her recipe for relief: “Probably just water, ice cream, being inside.”
Meteorologists in Las Vegas warned people not to underestimate the danger. “This heat wave is NOT typical desert heat due to its long duration, extreme daytime temperatures and warm nights. Everyone needs to take this heat seriously, including those who live in the desert,” the National Weather Service in Las Vegas said in a tweet.
Phoenix marked the city’s 15th consecutive day of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) or higher temperatures on Friday, reaching 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.6 degrees Celsius) in the late afternoon, putting it on track to beat the longest measured stretch with such heat. The record is 18 days, registered in 1974.
“This weekend will be some of the most severe and warm conditions we’ve ever seen,” said David Hondula, the city’s heat manager. “I believe that it is a time for maximum social care.”
The heat is expected to continue into next week
The heat was expected to continue well into next week as a high pressure dome moves west from Texas.
“We’re getting a lot of heat-related illness now, a lot of dehydration, heat exhaustion,” said Dr. Ashkan Morim, who works in the emergency room at Dignity Health Siena Hospital in suburban Henderson.
Morim said he has treated tourists this week who spent too long drinking at pools and became severely dehydrated; a stranded hiker who needed gallons of fluids to regain strength; and a man in his 70s who fell and was stuck in his home for seven hours until help arrived. The man kept the home thermostat at 80 F (26.7 C), worried about his electricity bill with the air conditioning running constantly to combat high nighttime temperatures.
Las Vegas regional health officials launched a new database Thursday to report “heat-caused” and “heat-related” deaths in the city and around Clark County from April through October.
The Southern Nevada Health District said seven people have died since April 11, and a total of 152 deaths last year were determined to be heat-related.
Besides casinos, air-conditioned public libraries, police station lobbies and other locations from Texas to California planned to be open to the public to offer relief for at least part of the day. In New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque, paddling pools will be open for longer hours, and many public pools offer free admission. In Boise, Idaho, churches and other nonprofits offered water, sunscreen and shelter.
A person jogs on the Las Vegas Strip during a heat advisory on Friday.
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A person jogs on the Las Vegas Strip during a heat advisory on Friday.
Ty O’Neil/AP
Temperatures closer to the Pacific coast were less severe, but still made for a sweaty day of strikes in the Los Angeles area where actors joined screenwriters in a strike against producers.
In Sacramento, the California State Fair kicked off with organizers canceling planned horse racing events due to animal safety concerns.
Employers were reminded that outdoor workers must be provided with water, shade and regular breaks to cool down.
Pet owners were encouraged to keep their animals indoors for the most part. “Dogs are more susceptible to heatstroke and can literally die within minutes. Please leave them at home in the air conditioning,” David Szymanski, park ranger for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the wildfire season began to ramp up amid the hot, dry conditions with a series of fires breaking out across California this week, Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot said at a media briefing.
Global climate change is “supercharging” heat waves, Crowfoot added.
Firefighters in Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, battled several brush fires that started Friday afternoon.
Stefan Gligorevic, a software engineer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania who was visiting Las Vegas for the first time, said he planned to stay hydrated and not let it ruin his vacation.
“Cold beer and probably a walk through the resorts. You take advantage of the shade when you can,” Gligorevic said. “Yes, definitely.”
