Early Summer Heat Wave to Bring Triple-Digit Temperatures This Week—Here's Where
Officials are warning residents in three states to prepare for extreme hot weather.
While you may already be jumping in the pool or heading out on your long awaited vacations, summer hasn't officially started yet. (That's June 20—mark your calendars!) But the summer solstice is one thing, and meteorological summer is another. That actually kicked off on June 1, and the season is wasting no time in heating things up. This week, an early summer heat wave will send temperatures into the triple digits in three states.
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Just two weeks ago, parts of Texas and Florida were hit with a surprising pre-summer heat wave.
"Even if it had been two or three months from now, like July or August, it still would have been pretty astounding to have two consecutive days with 112-degree heat index here," Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami, told NBC News at the time.
Now, more states are going to be experiencing early summer temperature spikes this week, NBC News said in a new report. The National Weather Service's (NWS) HeatRisk forecast indicates that parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona are expected to experience extreme levels of heat from Thursday, June 6 to Saturday, June 8.
This is the highest level for heat-related impact risks on the HeatRisk index, indicating "rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief [that] affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," according to the NWS.
Triple-digits are expected for each of these states during the week. Temperatures could reach as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday in parts of California, such as the aptly named Furnace Creek.
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Over in Arizona, the city of Phoenix is looking at potential highs of 112 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday and Friday. And in Nevada, Las Vegas is expected to have one of the longest bouts of hot weather, as excessive heat warnings are in place from Thursday to Saturday, with expected temperature highs between 108 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit over these three days.
"It's coming early," Eric Kurth, a NWS meteorologist based in Sacramento, California, told NBC News. "Heat is here, and we need to prepare."
This level of excessive heat this early also represents an early start to the fire season, per NBC News.
"We normally see a lot more fire activity in July, August September. This just indicates that people need to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice," Cecile Juliette, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told NBC News.
Officials in places like Arizona are preparing to have fire crews on high alert, with most areas across the western and south-central parts of the state likely to be under fire restrictions by Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
"It does seem like Mother Nature is turning up the heat on us a little sooner than usual," Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told the AP. "We can't back down from a fire just because it's pushing 113 degrees outside. But we do keep a close eye on everybody in the field. Make sure they are keeping hydrated and taking more breaks than they normally would."
- Source: NWS: HeatRisk
