A significant heat wave will begin in California on Tuesday, with scorching temperatures that could last well into the long holiday weekend, forecasters said.
“The heat wave is expected to be long, even by California standards,” said Alex Lammers Chief of forecasting operations for the Weather Forecast Center of the National Weather Service.
The deserts and valleys of the state will experience the hottest temperatures, with temperatures above 100 and the coastal areas will also not be spared from the unusual heat.
Here are some key things to know about this heat wave.
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Heat will increase from Tuesday and continue to rise through the 4th of July weekend.
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It’s not just California. By July 4, other western states, including Washington, Oregon and Nevada, will experience temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average.
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A heat wave will be particularly dangerous in the west due to warm nighttime temperatures. The overnight cooling is not expected to provide the usual level of relief in early July.
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An isolated heat wave is underway across the southeastern United States and will last through the holiday weekend. Combined with humidity, rising temperatures along the Gulf Coast will feel even warmer than their measurements.
“Given that some relief is expected overnight during this event, this is where it really becomes a marathon,” San Francisco Bay Area forecasters said Monday. “This is not just for heat-sensitive individuals, but for the entire population,” they warned.
On Monday, California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, released a report that concluded seven recent extreme heat events cost the state $7.7 billion and were responsible for nearly 460 deaths.
The effect of heat on the body is cumulative. As each day passes, the risk of heat-related illness increases. And when the temperature doesn’t cool enough at night, the body can’t recover. In Las Vegas, where a high of about 115 degrees is predicted this weekend, the overnight low may not drop below 90 degrees.
When scorching temperatures are reached, the length of heat waves can break records for days on end. In an interview, Mr. Lammers named several places in California that set or broke such records. He said San Jose was expected to tie its longest stretch of triple-digit temperatures at five straight days and that Redding could tie or break its longest stretch of 110-degree heat at six.
The unusual heat is likely to continue beyond the forecast of local weather offices. This Climate Prediction CenterWhile meteorologists are already looking ahead to next week, Monday noted that excessive heat may continue till July 11, if not longer, with little chance of a drop in temperatures till July 15.
Alexandra E. Petrie Contribution report.