3 days Ago By Patrick Smith
An "extremely dangerous" heat wave is set to break daily temperature records across western and southern states through the holiday weekend, the National Weather Service warned. The extreme heat comes as 28,000 were forced to evacuate their homes because of a raging wildfire in Northern California . The Thompson Fire in Oroville, about 65 miles north of Sacramento, had grown to 3,568 acres and was only 7% contained on Wednesday night.
California, southern Nevada and Arizona could see triple-digit temperatures on Thursday, with widespread excessive heat warnings, and it will be pushing the 100 degree mark in Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana. The heat index, a measure of how hot it feels that takes into account humidity, could reach the 110s in the lower Mississippi Valley. In total, more than 100 million people will spend Thursday under heat alerts.
Anyone holding Fourth of July celebrations might want to consider moving them inside — preferably somewhere with air conditioning. "If planning to spend an extended amount of time outdoors this Fourth of July, be sure to use caution and act quickly if you see signs of heat-related illnesses," the NWS said. From then on in the West, it will only get hotter and more dangerous.
The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures between 110 and 115 degrees in inland California on Friday and Saturday. Parts of the desert southwest could reach 120 degrees. Afternoon temperatures could reach the upper 90s and low 100s in the Northwest.
