A heat dome is expected to bring scorching triple-digit temperatures to the Southwest starting Tuesday, as more than 25 million Americans will be under a heat alert issued by the National Weather Service.
The heat dome – a natural phenomenon caused by warm air trapped above a region – is taking hold around central California, southern Nevada and western Arizona, with temperatures expected 20 degrees above normal, the Fox Weather Center told the Post.
The heat dome is expected to persist through Thursday, with Las Vegas and Phoenix expected to experience 111-degree heat by Wednesday — temperatures these cities don’t normally experience until late summer.
Parts of metro Las Vegas are under a Level 4 heat advisory through Friday, which warns of serious health consequences and even death from extreme and prolonged exposure to heat.
Fresno, California, is also expected to experience triple-digit heat by Friday, even as the heat dome dissipates over the region, meteorologists said.
The three-day ordeal, however, could very well last into the weekend, according to Fox Weather Center.
Experts also warn that the heat will persist into the night, erasing hopes that residents can cool off after sunset.
Heat advisories were also issued for parts of Utah, New Mexico and Texas.
National Weather Service meteorologists urge residents in these areas to stay hydrated and out of direct sunlight.
Last summer, more than 2,300 people died from the effects of excessive heat in the United States, the highest figure in 45 years of record-keeping, according to an Associated Press analysis of CDC data.
New York Post
