PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on an extreme heat wave in the Southwest U.S. (all times local):
6:05 p.m.
Las Vegas has tied its record high temperature of 117 degrees (47.2 degrees Celsius) as a weather system continues to bring scorching heat to the Southwest U.S.
The National Weather Service in Las Vegas says the record was tied at 4:07 p.m. Tuesday. Meteorologist Chris Outler says it is possible that the heat wave affecting the area could push thermometers to hit the same temperature again Wednesday.
The first day of summer brought some of the worst heat the Southwest U.S. has seen in years, forcing flights to be canceled, straining the power grid and making life miserable for some.
At McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, airlines cancelled at least one flight and delayed at least two others because of the heat.
The last time Las Vegas saw 117-degree temperatures was June 30, 2013.
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5:51 p.m.
Meteorologists say the temperature has topped out at 119 degrees in Phoenix as a stifling heat wave blanketing the Southwest U.S. brought some of the hottest weather in years.
Phoenix has been on watch for 120 degrees (49 degrees Celsius) for several days, a mark only reached three times in recorded history. But the high ended up a notch lower thanks to brief cloud cover over the city.
It will still go down a tie for the fourth-hottest day in recorded history in Phoenix.
Other cities in the Southwest hit the milestone or higher, including Yuma, Arizona, and Palm Springs, California. The California desert city reached 121.
The heat has caused flights to be canceled, strained the power grid and made life miserable for workers toiling outside.
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5:15 p.m.
For the second straight year, the people of Palm Springs, California, have been forced to face temperatures more than 20 degrees above the century mark.
On Tuesday, the last day of spring, Palm Springs hit 121 degrees (49 degrees Celsius). On the same date last year, the desert resort town reached 122. The highest temperature ever in Palm Springs is 123, which has happened four times, the last time in 1995.
Jim Brooks only had to walk 50 yards from his car to the Five Guys burger restaurant in Palm Springs. But he felt like he nearly melted in the process.
Brooks told the Desert Sun newspaper he didn’t think lunch would be worth it, and he was hitting himself for leaving his home in nearby Cathedral City where he can stay in the air conditioning.
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2:17 p.m.
Phoenix-area residents are setting a record demand for energy as scorching temperatures roll though the valley during the week’s punishing heat wave.
Salt River Project spokeswoman Kathleen Mascarenas says the company delivered a record amount of energy to customers Monday.
The company has reported there was a peak demand of 6,981 megawatts between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. that evening, stating it was a result of the extreme heat wave.
Mascarenas says though the heat creates a strain on the system, SRP prepares for these situations year-round.
SRP predicts it will likely reach a new peak demand Tuesday as temperatures continue to rise and forecasts expect a high of 120 degrees in Phoenix.
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12:30 p.m.
Authorities in Phoenix are trying to keep about 350 jail inmates housed in outdoor tents cool despite triple-digit heat.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office officials say the inmates are given unlimited access to ice water and iced towels.
They say the inmates’ physical condition is monitored every hour around the clock.
Sunblock for inmates also is available for purchase from vending machines on site.
The barbed-wire-surrounded Tent City compound of military-style barracks tents and cots opened in August 1993 as a way of easing jail overcrowding in Arizona’s most populous county.
In a cost-cutting move, two of the three Tent City yards were dismantled over the past two months, with about 400 inmates relocated to indoor jail facilities.
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11:50 a.m.
American Airlines says seven regional flights have been delayed and 43 have been canceled because of a heat wave threatening to bring 120 degrees to Phoenix.
The disruptions came Tuesday. The airline says it doesn’t expect any more issues Wednesday but officials will re-evaluate.
The National Weather Service forecasts a high of 120 degrees (49 degrees Celsius), which is has only hit three times in recorded history - the last time 22 years ago.
Arizona is seeing some of the most dramatic temperatures Tuesday, but the heat wave is being felt across Nevada and California, too.
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12:40 a.m.
The first day of summer is forecast to bring some of the worst heat the southwestern U.S. has seen in years.
The forecast calls for 119 degrees in Phoenix, where some flights have been cancelled because certain planes can’t take off in extreme heat.
Arizona is seeing the most stifling temperatures, but the wrath of the heat wave is being felt across Nevada and California as well.
Las Vegas was forecast to hit 117 (47 Celsius) on Tuesday and excessive heat warnings cover almost all of California.
Phoenix hit 118 degrees on Monday.
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