4 months ago
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6 minutes ago
By Aleks Phillips, BBC News
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Meteorologists expect West Coast heat records to be tied or broken
A record-breaking heatwave that has already caused large wildfires in western US states is set to continue next week.
Around 130m people were under some form of heat warning or advisory on Saturday. Nearly 57m people remain under heat alerts, as at least one child has already died in heat-related circumstances in Arizona.
Meteorologists are warning that warm nights will lead to people suffering heat stress. Temperatures could reach 128F (53C) in Death Valley on Monday.
While it is hard to link individual heatwaves to climate change, scientists say they are becoming more common and intense because of it.
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Palm Springs in California reached 124F (51C) on Friday, beating its previous all-time record of 123F (50.6C)
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Tens of thousands were evacuated as the Thompson Fire - which broke out in Oroville on Tuesday - spread across 3,789 acres of California, destroying 25 structures
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Firefighters were also called to tackle the French Fire in Mariposa on Thursday, which has since spread across 908 acres and injured four emergency responders
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California Governor Gavin Newsom described the extreme heat as "the number one weather killer"
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