‘Unprecedented' March heat wave shatters records across western US

Meteorologists issued a warning for millions of residents across the Western United States to prepare for a historic and potentially the most dangerous heat wave.

Experts call it an “extremely rare” burst of summer-like temperatures to shatter long-standing records week ahead of schedule.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued its earliest extreme heat watch on record in the Phoenix office, with the alert coming over a month sooner than the previous record set in 2020.

Forecasters also warned the residents that the temperature can get as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Arizona and Southern California.

This breaks the record of 2017 when the temperature was 95 degrees.

Similar weather conditions are expected in Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and California, where a forecasted high of 107 degrees would break the record temperature in 1997.

As reported by the NWS office in Los Angeles, the event is an “extremely rare long-duration heat wave” that will reach its intensity from Tuesday, March 17, through Thursday, March 19.

The heat wave will first be experienced by the residents of coastal areas, followed by valleys, mountains, and deserts later in the week.

Residents are urged to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity, and check on vulnerable people to ensure safety for everyone.