Western US bakes in heatwave

A record-breaking heatwave is currently affecting the western United States, causing significant wildfires and putting millions of people under heat warnings. Meteorologists predict that heat records on the West Coast may be tied or broken. On July 3, 2024, 16-year-old Lilou Guerra took in the view of San Francisco during this intense heatwave. Approximately 130 million people were under some form of heat warning or advisory on Saturday, and nearly 57 million people remain under heat alerts. Tragically, at least one child has already died due to heat-related circumstances in Arizona. Meteorologists are cautioning that warm nights will exacerbate heat stress among the population. Temperatures in Death Valley could soar to 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53 degrees Celsius) on Monday. Palm Springs, California, reached a scorching 124 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius) on Friday, surpassing its previous all-time record of 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50. 6 degrees Celsius). A man was seen pulling a dog in a wagon across the blistering pavement on July 5, 2024, in Palm Springs, California. Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated as the Thompson Fire, which ignited in Oroville on Tuesday, spread across 3,789 acres of California, destroying 25 structures. Firefighters were also dispatched to combat the French Fire in Mariposa on Thursday, which has since spread across 908 acres and injured four emergency responders. Inmate firefighters have been enlisted to help battle the Thompson Fire in Oroville, California. California Governor Gavin Newsom described the extreme heat as 'the number one weather killer. ' An air tanker was seen dropping fire retardant during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, California, on July 2, 2024. The latest wildfire in California, the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara, has spread across 13,264 acres and is approaching Michael Jackson's former Neverland Ranch. Smoke from the Lake Fire filled the air near the entrance of Michael Jackson's former Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California, on July 6. Wildfires continue to rage across California. A boy was seen playing football and drinking from a water bottle, while a woman walked under the shelter of an umbrella to escape the intense heat in New Delhi, India.