Overview

• National Weather Service warnings and advisories are in effect through the weekend across the Southwest and much of California, affecting roughly 80 million people from the U.S.–Mexico border to southwest Utah.
• Forecast highs include around 112°F in Phoenix, near 110°F in Las Vegas and up to 120°F in Death Valley, with Northern California’s Valley projected to see 101–105°F Thursday through Saturday.
• Red-flag alerts are posted in Southern California through Saturday due to unseasonably hot, dry and breezy conditions capable of producing extreme fire behavior.
• Monsoonal moisture is expected to bring a risk of afternoon thunderstorms and lightning from late week into the weekend, complicating firefighting and potentially igniting new blazes.
• Officials are opening cooling centers and pre-deploying resources, with Los Angeles ramping heat response and Gov. Gavin Newsom moving engines, crews and aircraft; the NWS urges hydration and access to air conditioning as a hot-car death was reported in El Centro.