Death Valley temperatures top 120F amid urgent heatwave warning for 40million Americans
AN URGENT heat warning has been issued for 40million people in the US, as much of the Southwest deals with a sizzling heatwave.
In Death Valley, California temperatures climbed past 120F, while officials are warning of record-breaking hot temperatures in the region.
Temperatures have been on the rise for much of the Southwest this week and across the country could see temperatures in the triple digits into next week.
reported the Southwest has been hit particularly hard, because of a northward bulge in the which unfolded in the region earlier this week.
It brought in hot air that's more typical of the middle of summer effecting an extreme heat warning, while sending thermometers in the area soaring and leaving residents sweltering.
Death Valley, which is widely known as one of the hottest spots on the planet, is expected to soar to around 122F today, breaking the daily record high of 121F, according to the .
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On Friday, the mercury soared to a sizzling 123 F, shattering the daily record high of 120 set in 1994.
Meanwhile, the all-time high in Death Valley is 134F, a threshold which has stood since July 10, 1913.
Typically, Death Valley averages high temperatures of 110F at this time of year and doesn't reach its peak average high temp of 118F until mid-July.
It's not the only area booking daily record-busting temperatures.
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On Wednesday, Phoenix recorded its first 110F reading of the year, as the Valley of the Sun baked in July-like heat.
Las Vegas also so far and broke a daily record on Friday as the mercury hit 109F.
The previous daily record was 108F set in 1996.
The city had previously seen the highest temperature of the year just a day earlier when the mercury rose to 108 degrees.
In early June, Sin City usually sees temperatures reach into the upper 90s.
There will be no respite from the worst of the heat today, with large swaths of California, Arizona and Southern Nevada expected to remain under an excessive heat warning through Saturday evening.
However, forecasters say spiraling temperatures will slowly begin to pull back starting Sunday.
Still conditions are dangerous.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff said, "this wave of heat will continue to push temperatures into the upper 100s and 110s, levels that can be for even those who are accustomed to extreme heat."
All told, over 35million people are currently under heat advisories or excessive heat warnings, which extend from California to Texas, with temperatures above 100F expected in many places, per .
By next week more than 45million could be impacted, as alerts cover portions of more than half a dozen states.
That heat continues to spread into the Midwest and Southeast through early next week, with Chicago topping out in the 90s on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to CNN.
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On Monday, most of the record temperatures will stretch between Denver and Raleigh, North Carolina, but could spread as far north as Wisconsin and Michigan by the middle of the week.
Heat is the in the US, according to the Weather Channel and knowing about extreme heat related issues, including cramps and heat stroke are vital to public health.
