By The Summary
- More than 50 heat records were broken in the western U.S. on Wednesday.
- New daily temperature records set included a high of 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix and 106 degrees in San Jose, California.
- The October heat wave is expected to continue into the weekend, with extreme conditions in states including California, Arizona and Nevada.
More than 50 new heat records were set on Wednesday, as an extraordinary October heat wave continues to bake much of the western United States.
A record high temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Phoenix, breaking the previous record of 107 degrees set in 1980, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in Yuma, Arizona, reached 112 degrees on Wednesday, tying the previous record also set in 1980.
California, too, notched several new daily heat records, per the National Weather Service. A high of 106 degrees was recorded in San Jose, smashing the previous record of 96 degrees from both 1980 and 2012. Napa recorded a high of 103 degrees, topping its prior record of 102 set in 1980.
Around 29 million people were under heat alerts Thursday, with excessive heat warnings in place for much of California, Arizona and Nevada.
Dozens more records are expected to fall from California to Colorado as extreme temperatures persist through the weekend.
Severe heat is expected to continue worsening as a result of climate change, with a wealth of studies showing that as the planet warms, heat waves are becoming more likely, more intense and longer lasting.
More dangerously hot temperatures in California are expected in the coming days, including highs up to 112 degrees in the eastern San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and western San Fernando Valley, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of the Bay Area could also see highs of up to 102 degrees.
In Death Valley National Park, lower elevations could see high temperatures up to 113 degrees this weekend, making for “dangerously hot conditions for early October,” an alert from the NWS said.
The weather service also warned people in Arizona of a “major heat risk” through the weekend, with temperatures up to 115 degrees in parts of the state. Some parts of neighboring Nevada could reach up to 110 degrees over the weekend, as well.
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, temperatures climbed into the mid-90s in parts of Florida that were recently ravaged by Hurricane Helene, including Tampa, Fort Myers and St. Petersburg.
