As the western United States is reeling under a second heatwave in weeks, hot weather alerts were issued for more than 30 million people. This alert has been brought by another round of record-equalling high temperatures. 

Sweltering conditions have hit much of the Pacific seaboard and as far inland as the western edge of the Rocky Mountains over the weekend, with forecasters warning of more to come on Sunday, news agency AFP reported.

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According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Las Vegas touched an all-time record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2 Celsius). This was last recorded in the desert entertainment city once in 1942 and three other times since 2005.

Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for the city along with several other urban centers including the southern city of Phoenix and San Jose, the center of the Silicon Valley tech industry south of San Francisco.

“Over 30 million people remain under either excessive heat warnings or heat advisories,” the NWS said on Saturday.

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The weekend’s heat condition comes after another heat wave that struck the western United States and Canada at June end.

The scorching conditions saw the all-time record daily temperature broken three days in a row in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Last month was the hottest June on record in North America, according to data released by the European Union’s climate monitoring service.

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The World Meteorological Organization and Britain’s Met Office said in May there was a 40% percent chance of the annual average global temperature.

The past six years, including 2020, have been the six warmest on record.

Spain roasts in sizzling heat

Spain, too, experienced heatwave, forcing locals and tourists to search for shade and cooling waters.

National weather office AEMET issued heat warnings, with the temperature expected to rise above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Madrid and the southern city of Seville for a consecutive day.

Spain’s first bout of extreme heat of the year is forecast to spread east on Monday before easing. Only a sliver of Spain’s northern Atlantic coast will be spared.