Excessive heat watch in effect for Seattle and most of the Western US

by KING 5 News and Associated Press

Posted on June 27, 2013 at 9:26 AM

Updated today at 4:56 PM

SEATTLE — A heat wave began Friday in Western Washington is expected to continue until mid-week.

An excessive heat watch is in effect from Monday morning through Monday evening for the Everett, Seattle and Tacoma areas.

Temperatures will rise to the upper 80s Sunday and to the low 90s Monday. Overnight lows will be around 60.

The record for July 1 at Sea-Tac Airport is 87 degrees, set most recently in 1995. And the record for July 2 is 92, set in 1968.

Temperatures east of the Cascades may break 100 on Monday and Tuesday.

In Spokane, weekend temperatures in the 90s are expected during the Hoopfest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The event is expected to draw 28,000 players and up to 200,000 people downtown. They are being warned to drink plenty of fluids to avoid heat-related problems.

The downside of great weather is the risks some people take to enjoy it at rivers, lakes and beaches in Washington. Keep in mind the water in rivers, lakes and the Puget Sound is cold.

“Most hot weather deaths are from drowning because rivers are fed by melting snow,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Burke. “You go in and get into trouble right away.”

Read more about how to make water safety a priority during hot weather.

Authorities also are advising people to protect themselves from heat-related illnesses and not to leave children or pets in cars. Pet safety information

Also, make sure that you have enough water for you as well as anyone with you. Staying hydrated will help you avoid heat stroke. CDC heat stress information

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Punishing heat wave hits western U.S.

Updated 9:26 PM ET

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. Scorching heat blistered the Southwest on Saturday, where highs between 115 and 120 degrees were expected for parts of Arizona, Nevada and California through the weekend.

Forecasters said temperatures in sunbaked Las Vegas could match the record of 117 degrees Saturday; as of late afternoon, it was 115 degrees. Phoenix hit 119 degrees by mid-afternoon, breaking the record for June 29 that was set in 1994. And large swaths of California sweltered under extreme heat warnings, which are expected to last into Tuesday night — and maybe even longer.

How to stay cool during a sweltering heat wave

Dan Kail was vacationing in Las Vegas when he heard that the temperature at California’s Death Valley could approach 130 degrees this weekend. He didn’t hesitate to make a trip to the desert location that is typically the hottest place on the planet.

“Coming to Death Valley in the summertime has always been on the top of my bucket list,” the 67-year-old Pittsburgh man said. “When I found out it might set a record I rented a car and drove straight over. If it goes above 130 I will have something to brag about.”

The forecast called for Death Valley to reach 128 degrees Saturday as part of a heat wave that has caused large parts of the western U.S. to suffer. At 4 p.m. PDT, the temperature was 122 degrees. Death Valley’s record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

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West to get even hotter

Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli of CBS Station WFOR Miami reported Saturday evening that we are going to see a prolonged heat wave continue for the next several days in the desert southwest. Sunday could see high temperatures near 130 degrees in Death Valley and these temperatures are going to be very slow to cool down over the next several days — that heat wave is going to stick around.

A couple hours south in Baker, the temperature was expected to peak at 120 degrees in the road tripper’s oasis in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 15. The strip of gas stations and restaurants between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is known by travelers for the giant thermometer that often notes temperatures in the triple digits.