U.S. faces extreme heat that may push power supply to brink

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

California and neighboring states in the U.S. are facing another historic heat wave that may push power supplies to the brink and is adding to already high wildfire risk amid record drought.

Temperatures will hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius) Friday in Sacramento and 112 Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Excessive heat warnings cover most of California and parts of Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Arizona.

“The heat wave will pretty much peak today through Sunday,” said Lara Pagano, a senior branch forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center.

“By the time we get into Monday and Tuesday things will be improving but they are still going to be toasty.”

The fresh round of heat comes just days after records toppled across Oregon, Washington and British Columbia and authorities attributed hundreds of deaths to extreme weather seen as the latest evidence of climate change.

Californians are again being asked to ease their power consumption, and the state has also asked for greater water conservation.

Last month was the hottest June on record for the contiguous U.S. with temperatures 4.2 degrees above last century’s average, the National Centers for Environmental Information said in a report Friday.

The year’s first half, the third warmest in the 127-year record, also includes eight disasters causing at least $1 billion in losses from heat, drought, hail, floods, tornadoes and the deep freeze that paralyzed Texas.