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More than 30 million people are under extreme weather alerts Sunday as a sweltering heat wave lingers across the West. Excessive heat warnings and watches were effective in parts of California, Oregon, Washington and the desert Southwest, with temperatures soaring well into triple-digit territory around Phoenix and approaching record highs near Seattle, forecasters said.
National Weather Service offices in Phoenix and Tucson predicted temperatures on Sunday could respectively reach 111 and 108 degrees Fahrenheit, creating "dangerously hot" conditions that carry major risks of heat-related illnesses, especially for anyone in those regions without access to air conditioning or other cooling mechanisms. The temperatures in and around both areas were expected to ease by Tuesday.
Pockets of the Pacific Northwest faced several days of unusual heat over the weekend.
"A prolonged period of warm temperatures will begin tomorrow and continue into at least early next week," the National Weather Service in Seattle on Thursday, adding that temperatures would near daily records across northwestern Washington. Temperatures measured at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport tied a daily all-time high on Friday evening, and measurements in several nearby cities either tied or broke records between Friday and Saturday, according to the Seattle forecast office.
In Portland, officials enacted an extreme heat warning Friday that was set to expire Tuesday morning, as the local Weather Service office warned the city and other inland regions would experience triple-digit temperatures and "minimal relief" even at night. Preliminary measurements indicated Friday's temperature of 102 degrees , which previously stood at 98 degrees and was set in 1942.
That was just one of multiple records broken across Oregon and southern Washington as a result of the heat wave. At least one person participating in Portland's Hood to Coast relay, a long-distance running event that begins at Mt. Hood and ends at the Pacific Ocean, was hospitalized after losing consciousness during the race, the Associated Press reported.
The runner, David Loftus, recovered after being held overnight at a hospital for observation, according to the AP.
Residents of northern and southern California have also contended with sweltering temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires. were in effect until 9 p.m. PT Sunday for a large southwestern section of the state and until Monday morning for a number of northern areas, which experienced some of their hottest days so far this year over the weekend, reported.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned early Sunday of "dangerously hot daytime conditions with high temperatures of 95 to 105 degrees," in addition to lasting warmth overnight.
"There is a high risk for dangerous heat illness for anyone, especially for the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning, and those active outdoors," the Los Angeles forecast office said in an advisory issued at 3 a.m. local time Sunday. The office has that people under warnings "limit outdoor activities to just the early morning hours" until the heat wave abates.
A combination of high heat, low humidity and dry lightning fueled critical fire weather conditions across Southern California, which is prone to destructive blazes.
Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom preemptively deployed firefighting crews, engines, water tenders, helicopters and other resources to five counties — Los Angeles, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Ventura — ahead of the heat wave. Newsom said he deployed eight additional fire engines and three more water tenders to two additional counties on Saturday.
"We're taking no chances when it comes to protecting Californians from wildfire," he .
