Factbox-Hottest spots in U.S. as heat wave blankets Southwest

July 12, 2023 at 02:41 pm EDT

(Reuters) - Nearly 100 million Americans are facing a prolonged spell of sweltering weather this week, with the National Weather Forecast issuing heat advisories for many cities and towns across the country. In many places in the Southwest, where hot summers are the norm, extreme temperatures are in the forecast.

Here are some of the hottest spots, according to NWS forecasts for Wednesday: PHOENIX

Forecast high: 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius)

All-time record: 122 degrees Fahrenheit on June 26, 1990.

The Arizona city has already had 13 days in a row with temperatures exceeding 110 degrees, and it could break the record 18-day streak of 110 degree-plus days before the current heat wave ends. By July 15, temperatures could climb to 118 degrees Fahrenheit, just four degrees shy of the all-time high.

LAS VEGAS

Forecast high: 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius)

All-time record: 118 degrees Fahrenheit on July 26, 1931

The heat wave has descended on Las Vegas just two weeks after the desert city set a record for consecutive days below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The 291-day streak of relatively moderate temperatures broke the previous record of 290 days below the century reached in 1964 and 1965.

DALLAS

Forecast high: 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius)

All-time record: 113 degrees Fahrenheit on July 26-27, 1980

In conjunction with the extreme heat, strong winds and a lack of rain have put Central and West Texas counties at an elevated fire risk, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO

Forecast high: 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius)

All-time record: 114 degrees Fahrenheit on June 27, 1994

Roswell, the legendary center for UFO (unidentified flying objects) sightings, may experience more than three weeks of daily highs exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NWS forecasts.

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Forecast high: 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius)

All-time record: 134 degrees Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913

Temperatures in Death Valley, one of the hottest places in the world during summer, are expected to soar over the next week, reaching up to 126 degrees Fahrenheit by July 16. The outlook has led to concerns about the risk to visitors at Death Valley National Park. The record high of 134 degrees is also the highest ambient temperature ever recorded on the Earth's surface.

(Reporting by Rachel Norstrant in New York; editing by Mark Heinrich)