WESTERN STATES WILT UNDER RECORD-SETTING HEAT WAVE

Far from Harvey’s horrors, on what seems like another planet, a potentially record-breaking heat wave continues to scorch the western USA, exacerbating the risk of wildfires, straining the power grid and worsening air quality from Washington to Southern California.

Heat advisories and excessive heat warnings were in effect across several states as temperatures soared near or above 100 degrees. This level of heat is “dangerous to anyone without proper hydration or adequate cooling,” the National Weather Service in San Francisco warned.

The heat is likely to be even more extreme over the next few days. Several record high temperatures are possible, the weather service said, primarily across the West Coast, where temperatures could be as much as 20 degrees above average.