PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A slow-moving, potentially record-breaking heat wave Heat wave is spreading across the western United States, the National Weather Service said, prompting many residents to seek a cool haven dangerously high temperaturesThe southeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States are also sweltering, with oppressive heat and humidity expected to persist through Saturday.
Widespread temperature records are expected to be matched or broken during the heat wave, with much of the West Coast likely to see triple-digit temperatures, between 15 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit (8 and 16 degrees Celsius) above average, the National Weather Service said.
“The duration of this heat is also a concern, as above-average scorching temperatures are expected to persist through next week,” the weather service said.
In Gresham, a suburb of Portland, Oregon, Sherri Thompson, 52, waited in her car with her 14-year-old chihuahua Kiwani for an air conditioning center to open late Friday morning. Thompson has lived in her car for three years and can only run the air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time because it overheats the engine.
Thompson said the high temperatures raised concerns for her health, as she had been hospitalized for heatstroke in the past.
“I have anxiety and panic attacks and I worry. I don’t want to have another heat stroke and everything makes me very anxious,” she said.
Inside the air-conditioned center, Multnomah County spokeswoman Julia Comnes supervised county staff and people working with a local homeless services provider as they lined up thin mattresses in rows on the floor and set up beds for people with disabilities. She said the space could accommodate up to 80 people.
“One of the dangers of this weekend is that it’s still quite early in the season. We had a pretty cool June, so our bodies aren’t fully acclimatized to the heat yet,” she said. “For people who live outdoors or are more vulnerable, a cooling space like this is really important so they can cool down for a few hours.”
The scorching weather in the Portland area is expected to last at least through Monday, said Clinton Rockey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. If triple-digit temperatures (well above 37 degrees Celsius) continue through Tuesday, the region will tie a record last seen in July 1941, with five consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees, Rockey said. Temperatures are not expected to reach as high a peak as they have during a similar stretch. heat wave in 2021 — which killed about 600 people in Oregon, Washington and western Canada — but its duration could be problematic, Rockey said.
Many homes in the region lack air conditioning, and the constant heat makes it difficult for residents to cool down sufficiently at night. The problem is compounded in many cities, where concrete and cobblestones can trap heat, acting like an oven.
“That’s what’s driving people crazy,” Rockey said. “It’s going to be unpleasant. And unfortunately for some people, if they don’t have good shelter, it could be a very difficult, even deadly, situation.”
In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, there have been at least 13 confirmed heat-related deaths this year, while the causes of more than 160 other suspected heat-related deaths were still under investigation, according to the county’s most recent report on those deaths through June 29.
That doesn’t include the death of a 10-year-old boy earlier this week in Phoenix, who suffered a “heat-related medical event” while hiking with his family at South Mountain Park and Preserve, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
Among the extremes, the forecast for Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park calls for daytime highs of 129 degrees (53.8 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, then around 130 degrees (54.44 C) through Wednesday. The official world record for the hottest temperature recorded on Earth was 134 degrees (56.67 C) in Death Valley in July 1913, but some experts dispute that measurement and say the real record was 130 degrees recorded there in July 2021.
In Bullhead City, Arizona, the temperature had already reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit by 11 a.m. Friday. The city opened two cooling centers for seniors and others, but residents seemed to be taking the situation lightly.
“While this is a heat wave and we urge everyone to be cautious, we don’t typically see high usage at our cooling centers unless there’s a power outage,” Bullhead City spokeswoman Mackenzie Covert said Friday. “Our community is hot every summer. Our residents are aware of that. They all tend to have working air conditioners.”
Figure skaters began practicing at the Reno, Nev., rink at 6 a.m. Friday, general manager Kevin Sunde said. By the time the rink closed at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Sunde expected about 300 people to show up, with more parents than usual watching the kids practice hockey.
“They may not get on the ice themselves, but they enjoy the cool air,” Sunde said. “We’re the only patch of ice within about an hour’s drive.”
In Norfolk, Virginia, Kristin Weisenborn set up her table at an outdoor farmers market to sell sourdough bread. The air was slightly below triple digits, but the humidity of 58 percent made it feel more like 110 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s so hot, I just hope there are a lot of people here who can buy my bread,” said Weisenborn, 42, whose Krid’s Crumbs bakery is based in Virginia Beach.
“Otherwise we’re just sitting here sweating,” she said, adding that unsold bread will be donated or frozen.
Despite the still layer of moisture floating between the tables, people were already buying Weisenborn’s breads as the market began.
“It’s warm, but it’s July,” Weisenborn added. “Better than snow, I guess.”
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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporters Scott Sonner in Sparks, Nevada; Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina; John Antczak in Los Angeles; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; and Ben Finely in Norfolk, Virginia, contributed reporting.
