Swaths of California sweltered Tuesday and things were only expected to get worse during the Fourth of July holiday week for parts of the United States with nearly 90 million people under heat alerts.
The torrid conditions were being caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service.
CaliforniaB次元官网网址檚 capital, Sacramento, was under an excessive heat warning expected to last until Sunday night, with temperatures forecasted to reach between 105 degrees and 115 degrees (40.5-46 Celsius).
John Mendoza, 35, called it a B次元官网网址渇irehose of heatB次元官网网址� as he walked around the Capitol on Tuesday morning with an iced coffee in his hand. By 9 a.m., he had already been in a pool once B次元官网网址� and planned to go back later in the day.
B次元官网网址淚 felt like I needed to be submerged in water,B次元官网网址� he said.
With the temperatures rising before noon in Sacramento, Katherine Powers sought refuge in the shade of Cathedral Square. Powers, who is homeless, sipped sparkling water while resting her bare feet on the shaded sidewalk.
Powers said she had loaned her shoes to a friend. She had not yet visited one of Sacramento CountyB次元官网网址檚 nine B次元官网网址渃ooling centers,B次元官网网址� she said, because of the difficulty in bringing all the possessions she carries.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just going to go to a park with a water fountain just to stay cool, stay in the shade and just keep pouring water on me, basically,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 not too much that I can do.B次元官网网址�
Darlene Crumedy, who lives in Fairfield about an hourB次元官网网址檚 drive from Sacramento, said she doesnB次元官网网址檛 use air conditioning because itB次元官网网址檚 too expensive.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 good, I have a hundred fans,B次元官网网址� she said, adding she tries to stay inside and drink cold water.
Kim Mims, a Sacramento native, said she prefers the heat B次元官网网址� but only up to 100 degrees (38 C).
B次元官网网址淎nything over that you start to feel that difference,B次元官网网址� she said.
An analysis by The Associated Press found that last year, setting a record. That figure is likely a major undercount, dozens of experts told AP reporters.
Dr. Arthur Jey, an emergency services physician with Sutter Health in Sacramento, told reporters that getting out of the heat is important, along with wearing a hat and loose clothes, hydration and watching out for signs of heat stroke.
B次元官网网址淲ith heat stroke, it looks like a stroke,B次元官网网址� Jey said, describing symptoms that may include acting unusual, significant headaches, blurry vision, profuse sweating and then no sweating.
B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 a really big deal,B次元官网网址� Jey said. B次元官网网址淪o we want to prevent them getting even close to heat stroke.B次元官网网址�
CaliforniaB次元官网网址檚 heat was expected to spread from north to south over the week, with the worst of it focused on interior areas including the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and the southern deserts. But warnings extended out to just short of the coast.
San Francisco, famous for its cool summers, was expected to have a high Tuesday in the upper 80s (31 C) downtown but mid-60s (18.3 C) at Ocean Beach, forecasters said.
B次元官网网址淭he high pressure dome will linger over California for at least a week, with more long range guidance suggesting that timeline may even be optimistic,B次元官网网址� the Bay Area weather office wrote.
The heat arrived with gusty, dry winds in the northern part of the state, where the utility Pacific Gas & Electric implemented in parts of 10 counties to prevent wildfires from being ignited by downed or damaged electrical wires.
About 12,000 customers were told their power could be cut and given information about centers where they could obtain ice, water, snacks, Wi-Fi and other necessities, PG&E said.
California has had feeding on abundant grasses spawned by back-to-back wet winters. The largest current blaze, dubbed the Basin Fire, was 17% contained Tuesday after charring more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of the Sierra National Forest in eastern Fresno County.
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Antczak reported from Los Angeles.
Adam Beam And John Antczak, The Associated Press
