‘It’s tough’: blistering heat wave expands as one-third of Americans under heat alerts

More than a third of Americans were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings Thursday as a blistering heat wave that’s been baking the nation spread further into California, forcing residents to seek out air conditioning or find other ways to stay cool in triple-digit temperatures.

The sweltering conditions were expected to build Friday and through the weekend in Central and Southern California, where many residents should prepare for the hottest weather of the year, the National Weather Service warned. Highs in the inland desert areas could reach 120°F (48.8°C) during the day, and remain in the 80s Fahrenheit (above 26.6°C) overnight, offering little relief.

In the desert city of Palm Springs, many homeless people were left to contend with the heat on their own, with just 20 indoor beds at the lone overnight shelter.

John Summers, a homeless resident, climbed through a dry riverbed Thursday to seek shade at an encampment. “I basically just use water as much as I can. And hit shade. And, you know, the mall, wherever they’ll let you in,” he said.

“I don’t know how anyone can do it really,” said Roman Ruiz, the city’s homeless services coordinator. “I feel so bad, and yet there’s not much I can do.” The mercury was expected to near 110°F (43.3°C) in the city Thursday.

Elsewhere, officials prepared to repurpose public libraries, senior centres and police department lobbies as cooling centres, especially in desert areas.

The heat wave came as the California State Fair prepared to kick off Friday in Sacramento, forcing organizers to cancel planned horseracing events due to concerns for animal safety.

No end in sight

Forecasters said the long-duration heat wave is extremely dangerous , especially for older people, homeless residents and other vulnerable populations. The heat could persist into next week as a high pressure dome moves west from Texas.

In Las Vegas, regional health officials launched a new database Thursday to report “heat-caused” and “heat-related” deaths in the city and surrounding Clark County from April to October.

The Southern Nevada Health District said seven people have died since 11 April, and a total of 152 deaths last year were determined to be heat-related. The tally includes deaths due to heat exposure or hyperthermia and cases with those reasons listed as “significant factors,” district spokesperson Jennifer Sizemore said.

Phoenix hit 110°F (43.3°C) for the 14th consecutive day Thursday, putting it on track for a possible new record next week. The longest measured stretch of 110 degree-plus temperatures for the city is 18 days, recorded in 1974.

The overnight low temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Thursday morning was 95°F (35°C), which means temperatures may not be dropping far enough to allow people to recover after dark.

While there are some 200 cooling and hydration centers operated at libraries, community centres, churches and other public spaces across metro Phoenix, most close anywhere between 4 pm and 7 pm, leaving people with few options for cooling off in the still-sweltering nights.

Meanwhile in California, cooling centres in and around Sacramento planned to offer some extended evening hours. In the small Central Valley city of Galt, about 40 kilometres south of the state capital, the police department planned to open its air-conditioned lobby between 2 pm and 10 pm from Friday until Monday.

“We want to make sure that anybody who does not have the ability to find appropriate shelter, that they can have a place to go to keep themselves in a safe and cool environment,” Lt. John Rocha said. The same lobby served as a warming centre during California’s unusually wet, cold and snowy winter, demonstrating the weather whiplash the state has experienced this year.

Employers were reminded to adhere to regulations that require outdoor workers are given water, shade and regular breaks to cool off. The state will be performing spot checks at work sites to make sure the rules are being followed, said Jeff Killip with California’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health.

Wildfires popping up

Meanwhile the wildfire season is ramping up amid the hot, dry conditions with a series of blazes erupting across the state this week, Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, said at a media briefing this week.

Global climate change is “supercharging” heat waves, Crowfoot added. California has instituted a $400 million extreme heat action plan to protect workers, help vulnerable communities and assist local communities in opening cooling centers.

The plan, announced last year as an update to state recommendations made a decade earlier, has a broad range of near- and long-term goals. Elements include raising public awareness, statewide public health monitoring to identify heat illness events early on, and developing codes and regulations to protect everything from schools to water supplies.

People looking to cool down in California’s many rivers should be wary, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said, noting that waterways swollen from the epic Sierra Nevada snowpack remain dangerous as there is still snow left to melt.

“Be aware that the water will still be icy cold despite how hot the air will be and could be flowing very fast, much faster than usual for mid-July,” he said.

(AP)