West Coast Faces Unprecedented Heatwave as Temperatures Soar

The U.S. West Coast is gearing up for extreme heat, with desert areas anticipating temperatures up to 120°F. Phoenix is experiencing over 100 consecutive days of 100°F or higher, posing serious health risks, especially to vulnerable populations. Relief is expected by the weekend, though Pacific coast temperatures remain high.

The U.S. West Coast is bracing for extreme heat, with desert towns expected to see temperatures soar as high as 120°F (49°C). Phoenix is likely to continue its streak of over 100 days with temperatures exceeding 100°F, forecasters said on Tuesday. The southwestern U.S. faces multiple days of supercharged heat starting Tuesday, with high risks for the homeless, elderly, children, and people with health issues, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

The heatwave is expected to ease by the weekend, but California will continue to experience sizzling temperatures, even along the typically cooler Pacific coast, said Rich Bann of the Weather Prediction Center. Washington and Oregon are also in line to experience the intense heat.

“We’re expecting multiple days with widespread high temperatures in the triple digits,” said Bann. A high-pressure ridge is forming, depriving the region of clouds, cooling winds, showers, or thunderstorms that could otherwise mitigate the intense solar radiation.

“When you’re looking at the desert southwest, which is an arid place anyway, all indirect sunlight is going to go into heating the ground,” Bann added. Arizona's Phoenix recorded its 100th consecutive day of 100°F (38°C) or higher on Tuesday.

“The streak is expected to continue with no end currently in sight,” the weather service stated on X. The previous record was 76 straight days in 1993.