A dangerous heatwave is scorching the Southwest , bringing with it temperatures that would be considered hot even during the summer months . A map shows exactly which areas are being hit the hardest .
An excessive heat warning was issued in several countries in south-central Arizona and Southern California, with all of them lasting until 8 p.m. PDT. Some desert areas in California, such as Death Valley, are expected to reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, while most other regions are slated to reach around 105 degrees.
The National Weather Service called the heat "dangerously hot conditions for early October" as it added, "Overexposure can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion to develop and, without intervention, can lead to heat stroke."
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Daily high-temperature records were set in several areas. Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, told CNN , "Climate change is causing the length of the heat season to increase and is making ... fall heat waves like this more frequent." She added, "If we continue to warm the planet by burning fossil fuels, late-season heatwaves like this will become much more common."
Palm Springs, California, reportedly reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, tying the all-time highest October temperature ever recorded in the U.S. It was reportedly the hottest reading in the country so late in the year in over 40 years.
Some locations reportedly experienced more heat this week than they did all summer, including San Jose, California, where thermometers reportedly reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit on July 2 before hitting 106 degrees on Wednesday, which is five degrees higher than the city's previous October heat record.
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Record-breaking September heat was previously recorded in Las Vegas and Phoenix last week, just before October rolled around. Vegas reportedly reached a peak of 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday and Sunday both, making that the hottest day in October in the city's history.
It reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix on Saturday as well, hotter than any day in late September in the state's history. Then, it hit an October record on Tuesday, reaching 113 degrees. And on Wednesday, temperatures were still over 105 degrees, marking the 113th day this year alone that temperatures soared to such heights, which is an all-time record.
In Phoenix alone, Maricopa County officials told CNN that the heat this year led to over 300 deaths, with hundreds more still under investigation. Heat is considered the deadliest form of extreme weather, and climate change has been making the heatwaves longer, more severe and possible at any time of the year, even during the winter.
The most danger occurs when it fails to cool down enough overnight, CNN reported. Other areas impacted by this most recent heatwave include Denver and other Colorado cities, with the Mile-High City reaching 89 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, tying its all-time October high-temperature record.
Most of the hot conditions are slated to stay until early next week, it was reported. All in all, there are over 30 million people under heat alerts, with 18 million of them under excessive heat warnings. It's expected that the heatwave will lead to as many as 200 more high-temperature records by the end of the week in California and other states stretching to the Rocky Mountains.
Another danger posed by the heat is its potential to exacerbate red flag warnings already in place, which essentially outline the possibility of fires starting because of excessively dry conditions. That comes not even a month after nasty wildfires rocked California, ripping through communities and wreaking havoc on the state.
And with Santa Ana winds coming, too, the dry season is only beginning in some parts of California, meaning the risk of fires will only increase.
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