Heatwave breaks out on the West Coast, the worst is yet to come

About 170 million Americans will have to brace for sweltering temperatures on July 4 as the brutal heat continues.

The ongoing heat could make the record books and be one of the worst heat waves in parts of California in the last 18 years.

A ten-year-old boy died while hiking in Phoenix on Tuesday due to the dangerous heat.

Heat warnings have been issued across the West Coast, with dangerously high temperatures forecast from Southern California to Washington.

Heat advisories have been issued for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon. It’s not common for temperatures to get this hot so close to the coast and so far north.

Dozens of record highs are expected in the West over the next week. On Thursday, daily records could be broken in San Angelo, Texas (expected 104, record: 105), San Francisco (expected 86, record: 85) and Medford, Oregon (expected 106, record: 103).

Las Vegas could also see the highest temperature ever recorded in the coming days, at 47 degrees Celsius; temperatures of just one to two degrees below this record are expected for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

In the south, heat and humidity will combine to cause heat index temperatures above 100 degrees in dozens of cities.

A heat warning has been issued for Philadelphia and Washington, DC, where the heat index could reach 100 to 107 degrees on Thursday and Friday.

Due to the drought and persistent heat, several forest fires also occurred in the west.

One of the worst fires is the Thompson Fire in Butte County, California, north of Sacramento, which has spread to over 3,500 acres and is 7% contained.

Around 28,000 people had to be evacuated because of the fire. Evacuation orders were still in effect for parts of Butte County on Thursday.

More than 12,000 buildings were threatened by the fire and four of them were destroyed, officials said on Thursday.

Temperatures of up to 43 degrees Celsius are expected in the region on Thursday, which “increases the likelihood of fire spread,” Cal Fire said.