Southwest Heatwave Shatters Records as Temperatures Soar

Records tumbled across the U.S. Southwest with temperatures soaring past 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat wave, affecting Arizona, California, and Nevada, triggered excessive heat alerts. Numerous heat-related incidents were reported as cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas hit record highs. The heat is expected to persist for another day.

Records tumbled across the U.S. Southwest on Thursday as temperatures soared past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), marking the region's first significant heat wave of the year. The National Weather Service expects this intense heat to persist for at least another day.

Although the official start of summer is still two weeks away, roughly half of Arizona, California, and Nevada remain under an excessive heat alert, which has been extended until Friday evening.

In Phoenix, 11 people at a rally for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump fell ill from heat exhaustion. They were taken to the hospital, treated, and released, fire officials confirmed.

The weather service in Phoenix warned of "dangerously hot conditions," while the Clark County Fire Department in Las Vegas responded to at least 12 calls for heat exposure since midnight Wednesday. Nine of those calls required hospital treatment. A county spokesperson noted that actual numbers could be higher, as heat contributes to various emergency calls, including those involving alcohol intoxication, fainting, and dizziness.

New record highs were recorded on Thursday, including 113 F (45 C) in Phoenix and 111 F (44 C) in Las Vegas. Other parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada also set new temperature records.

Even areas typically cooler due to higher elevations, like Reno, Nevada, saw an early onset of extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to a record 98 F (37 C) compared to the usual 81 F (27 C).

While mild cooling is forecast for Reno this weekend, central and southern Arizona will continue to experience triple-digit highs, potentially reaching up to 110 F (43 C).

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)