As US heat wave spreads, Arizona counts the dead: 18 confirmed, dozens more suspected - USA Trending Now
As US heat wave spreads, Arizona counts the dead: 18 confirmed, dozens more suspected - USA Trending Now
The heat wave that has been plaguing huge stretches of the southern U.S. is forecast to continue in areas that have been scalding for weeks and spread further across the central U.S. over the next few days and even weeks.
"A dangerous, long-lived, and record breaking heat wave will continue over the Southwest through this weekend, particularly in the low desert areas, with triple-digit high temperatures also extending northward into the central Great Basin this weekend," National Weather Service forecaster Mussie Kebede said.
In addition to the Southwest heat, "oppressive heat and humidity are forecast to create widespread 105-110 degree heat indices across the mid-South, Southeast and Gulf Coast through early this weekend," he added.
More than 75 million Americans were under excessive heat warnings, heat advisories and excessive heat watches as the weekend began Saturday.
e heat is already being blamed for at least 18 confirmed deaths in the Phoenix metro area, with 69 other deaths suspected to be heat-related as of July 15. Gov. Katie Hobbs asked the state's utility companies in a letter Friday to submit plans for preventing and responding to outages and to meet to discuss the state's power infrastructure in future heat waves.
"As this devastating heat wave continues, the risk of heat-related deaths, illness and injury will only increase," Hobbs said in the letter.
Phoenix hit 23 straight dals of temperatures at or above 110 degrees on Saturday, and was on track to top out over 115 degrees for the sixth straight day, the National Weather Service there said. If it cracks 115, it would tie the record for longest stretch of days with highs at that temperature.
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