US Southwest Heat Wave Tumbles Records, Raises Fire Risk
A pedestrian wears a hat for shade under the morning sun while walking along The Strand in Redondo Beach, California, on March 20.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesNearly 9.5 million people across the US Southwest face extreme high temperatures, as an ongoing heat wave continues to topple records and raise the risk of wildfires as far away as the Great Plains.
Las Vegas reached 96F (36C) Saturday, a record for the date, while the nearby local National Weather Service office hit 97F for the second day in a row, an all-time high for March. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport hit 105F for its third day in a row, which also is the highest March temperature recorded there.