US Southwest swelters with temperatures up to 120 degrees

The news prompted the operator of California’s electrical grid to call for voluntary conservation of power Tuesday and Wednesday due to high temperatures in much of the West.

The news prompted the operator of California’s electrical grid to call for voluntary conservation of power Tuesday and Wednesday due to high temperatures in much of the West.

Parts of Utah have also issued an excessive heat warning with temperatures this week expected to approach 109 degrees (43 Celsius). The weather service said the warning for Utah’s Dixie and Lake Powell regions will be in effect Tuesday through Thursday.

A lesser heat advisory was in effect for west Texas and southeast New Mexico into Monday evening, with high temperatures well into the triple digits, the service said. Still, it was so hot in Las Cruces on Monday morning that afternoon school bus service was cancelled.

The weather agency uses a complicated formula that varies from region to region to declare an excessive heat warning, including close to record-breaking temperatures.

Some of the highest temperatures over the next few days were expected in Phoenix, where the weather service issued a tweet to warn residents to stay hydrated and take advantage of cooler indoor buildings.

The tweet says officials “can’t stress enough that it will become dangerously hot early this week.”

Firefighters and city officials on Monday morning distributed bright red cloth visors, hand fans and blue-coloured cooling neckerchiefs to downtown commuters, advising them to stay inside as much as possible.

“I’m hoping to stay in the air conditioning all day, and I’m planning to take it easy,” Lisa Kirby said, who was visiting from Rhode Island for a conference. Kirby said she visited the area several summers ago and had a hard time dealing with the heat.

Fire Capt. Jake Van Hook said the department gets dozens of calls a day about heat-related illnesses during excessive heat warnings. “They range from someone who just needs to get inside to someone who needs to get urgently to the hospital,” he said.

Maricopa County public health officials say 155 people died in the Phoenix area last year from heat-caused illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Forecasters say monsoon moisture will slowly return to the Phoenix area from the east by the weekend. Arizona’s monsoons are summer rains that can cause flash flooding and bring heavy winds.

Newsletter

These images show the Sun’s surface in greater detail than ever before

On Wednesday, astronomers released what they said were the most detailed images ever taken of the surface of our sun. As...

Magnitude 7.7 quake hits between Cuba and Jamaica, but no injuries

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and eastern Cuba on Tuesday, shaking a v...

US House passes bill on sanctions against Chinese officials for meddling in Dalai Lama’s succession

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officia...

Squid Brains Are Nearly as Complex as Dog Brains, Researchers Claim

We all know that cephalopods are wicked smart, and their complex nerve systems go some way to explain their aptitudes. N...

Four Japanese evacuees from Wuhan taken to hospital with fevers

Japanese officials say four evacuees on a flight from the Chinese city of Wuhan have a cough and fever. Tokyo Metropolit...

US military recovers remains from Afghanistan plane crash

The United States on Tuesday recovered the remains of two personnel from a US military aircraft that crashed in Afghanis...