The heat dome is expected to bring scorching triple-digit temperatures to the Southwest starting Tuesday, and heat warnings issued by the National Weather Service could affect more than 25 million Americans.
The heat dome, a natural phenomenon caused by hot air getting trapped in a single area, is expected to spread across central California, southern Nevada and western Arizona, bringing temperatures up to 20 degrees above normal, the Fox Weather Center told The Washington Post.
The heat is expected to continue through Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 111 degrees Fahrenheit by Wednesday in Las Vegas and Phoenix – cities that don’t typically experience such temperatures until late in the summer.
Parts of the Las Vegas metropolitan area remain under a Level 4 heat watch until Friday, warning that prolonged exposure to extreme heat could cause serious health damage or death.
Meteorologists said temperatures in Fresno, California, are also expected to reach triple digits by Friday even as the heat wave clears from the area.
But the three-day ordeal could quite easily continue into the weekend, according to the Fox Weather Center.
Experts also warned that the heat will linger into the night, ending any hopes that residents might find it cooler after the sun goes down.
Heat watches were also issued for parts of Utah, New Mexico and Texas.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service are urging people in those areas to stay hydrated and avoid direct sunlight.
Extreme heat killed more than 2,300 people in the United States last summer, the most in the 45 years records have been kept, according to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
