Canceled flights, burning door handles: Heat hits Southwest

By Clarice Silber and Josh Hoffner, Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Airlines canceled flights in Phoenix and doctors urged people to be careful around concrete, playground equipment and vehicle interiors Monday as a punishing heat wave threatens to bring temperatures approaching 120 degrees to parts of the Southwestern U.S.

Arizona is seeing the most stifling temperatures, but the wrath of the heat wave is being felt across Nevada and California as well. Las Vegas was forecast to hit 117 (47 Celsius) on Tuesday on the first day of summer, and excessive heat warnings cover almost all of California.

Despite the dangers, the weather may not be as bad as originally expected. The National Weather Service had been forecasting Tuesday highs at 120 or higher in Phoenix for the past several days, a number not seen in the desert city in more than 20 years, but it now predicts 119.

“That’s deadly heat no matter how you slice it,” weather service meteorologist Chris Breckenridge said.

Here are a few things to know about the heat wave:

HITTING 120 IS RARE

Phoenix and Las Vegas are used to 110-degree heat, but temperatures above 115 are rare.

Phoenix hit 118 degrees Monday, tying the record for the date set last year.

The last time the city reached 120 was in 1995. A notorious heat wave in 1990 brought consecutive days at 120 degrees, including the record of 122.

The heat is spread across California. The Central Valley has been baking in unusually bad heat, and the Northern California city of Redding hit a June 18 record of 110 degrees on Sunday — 19 degrees above normal.

It could be worse: Death Valley could see 124 degrees Tuesday.

BURN RISKS

It gets so hot in Phoenix that stores put coverings over door handles so people don’t burn their hands. Steering wheels and car shifters can be too hot to touch when getting into a car. And the pavement can burn the paws of pets.

The director of the Arizona Burn Center said second- and third-degree burns from touching hot items are common in the extreme heat. Dr. Kevin Foster warned people to be extra careful around concrete, car interiors and playground equipment, especially young children who have sensitive skin.

Pavement and concrete can be dangerous for pets, Foster said.

HEALTH HAZARDS

The heat is a serious public health hazard in places such as Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The county that is home to Phoenix had 130 heat-related deaths in 2016, the highest number in more than a decade. The Arizona Department of Health Services says nearly 2,000 people visit Arizona emergency rooms every year because of heat-related illnesses.

Homeless people comprised one-third of heat-related deaths in 2016, according to county records. Most of the others involved people with non-functioning air conditioners.

Kurt Dickson, an emergency room doctor at Banner Health in Phoenix, said people have a range of heat illnesses during the summer months, including fatigue, heatstroke and severe sun burns.

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