About 50 million people on alert for record heatwave after winter in the US
A record heatwave is affecting about 50 million people in the southwestern United States, with extreme temperatures unusual for March already exceeding historical highs.
TL;DR
- Nearly 50 million people in the southwestern US are under heat alerts.
- Record high temperatures are being recorded, unusual for March.
- Temperatures in some areas of California, Nevada, and Arizona are 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
- North Shore, California, reached 108°F (42°C), tying a March record from 1954.
- Thermal, California, was forecasted to reach 110°F (43.3°C), potentially a new national record.
- Phoenix, Arizona, hit 102°F (38.8°C), the first time over 100°F in March since 1988.
- Las Vegas, Nevada, exceeded its March record with a high of 99°F (37.2°C).
- The extreme heat and drought increase the risk of wildfires, especially with strong winds predicted in areas like Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
- Extreme heat is considered the deadliest weather hazard in the US.