According to the @NWSVegas, the Las Vegas Valley is under an Excessive Heat Warning. 🥵
Temperatures are expected to reach 118 degrees in some areas! 🌡️
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If you don't have air conditioning or some sort of cooling system at home, look for a cooling station. @clarkcountynv sets… pic.twitter.com/oWqhV9yRix— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) July 7, 2024
Las Vegas experienced its hottest day on record Sunday as temperatures soared to 120 degrees Fahrenheit at Harry Reid International Airport. The scorching heat shattered the city’s previous all-time high of 117 degrees, which was reached in 1942, 2005, 2013, 2017, and 2021. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported the preliminary record-breaking temperature of 118 degrees at 2:33 p.m. local time.
Triple digit heat indexes (what the temperature feels like) today in these orange and red areas. Check your local forecast at https://t.co/VyWINDkBnn and follow these tips to protect yourself from the heat and sun. pic.twitter.com/n6PQKNbiyq
— National Weather Service (@NWS) July 6, 2024
By 3:15 p.m., the mercury had climbed to 119 degrees before finally hitting the unprecedented 120-degree mark around 4 p.m.
Today's high temperature is the same as yesterday with 114 degrees recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor. The excessive heat warning is in effect until Thursday. Take heat precautions this week. #azwx pic.twitter.com/BzmHTeFf1S
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 8, 2024
Las Vegas is currently under an excessive heat warning that is expected to remain in effect through at least Thursday, July 11. The NWS has warned residents to brace for “dangerously hot conditions for an unusually long period” across parts of northwest Arizona, southeast California, and south central and southern Nevada. Several daily record high temperatures were shattered over the weekend in the three states.
Death Valley, California, reported a blistering 129 degrees, a temperature previously recorded only in 2007. Barstow-Daggett, California, hit 118 degrees, surpassing the 1989 record of 116 degrees. Bishop, California, reached 111 degrees, four degrees above the 2021 record of 107 degrees.
With extreme heat expected to continue across the Desert Southwest, keep heat safety in mind wherever you live. Follow these heat safety tips and visit https://t.co/nbWf33cT4d for more information on how to keep yourself and others safe. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/QgJPRW2Vvs
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 7, 2024
Palm Springs, California, set a new all-time heat record with 124 degrees on Friday, while Kingman, Arizona, tied its 2017 record of 112 degrees.
Las Vegas reaches unprecedented heat
This July heatwave follows the hottest June on record, according to global temperature analysis, a trend scientists believe is closely tied to global warming and the reckless burning of fossil fuels.
Excessively high temperatures pose serious health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups like young children and the elderly. The NWS has urged residents in the affected areas to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid the sun, and check on relatives and neighbors. They also warned against leaving young children and pets in unattended vehicles, as car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in minutes.
Excessive heat can cause heat exhaustion, with symptoms including cool, moist, pale skin, headache, dizziness, weakness or exhaustion, and nausea. The most severe illness caused by extreme temperatures is heat stroke, which can be fatal. Symptoms of heat stroke include vomiting, confusion, throbbing headache, decreased alertness or loss of consciousness, high body temperature (above 105°F), hot, dry skin, rapid, weak pulse, rapid, shallow breathing, and seizures.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 14,000 Americans have died from heat-related causes since 1979. The sweltering conditions have also increased the risk of wildfires spreading in California, as the dry and hot weather makes it more difficult to contain blazes. Authorities have cautioned residents to be vigilant, with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection advising, “Remember, one less spark could mean one less wildfire.”
