Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Weekend of excessive heat: Scorching temps likely to singe all-time highs

Staying Cool

Steve Marcus

Marie Kennedy, left and Karen Curtin, both of Ireland, cool down in front of a misting fan on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday, June 9, 2013.

The summer inferno is here.

The heat wave that has been slow-cooking the Las Vegas Valley will reach a high of 115 degrees on Friday, tying the record for June 28, National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Jensen said. If that’s not hot enough, temperatures are expected to ratchet up to all-time record high levels of 117 degrees Saturday through Monday.

With heat reaching record levels, it makes Thursday’s high temperature of 109 degrees seem downright cool … or at least bearable.

Friday is expected to begin with a low of 85 degrees before heating up the rest of the day, Jensen said. Red Cross of Southern Nevada urges Las Vegans to take precautions against the heat throughout the weekend.

Excessive heat kills about 400 Americans each year, causing more deaths than other weather events such as tornadoes, floods and hurricanes. To stay safe in the heat, Red Cross officials recommend that residents:

Prepare and have a plan ready in case the power goes out.

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

Stay hydrated by drinking water or juice continuously.

Eat small meals more often rather than large meals that increase metabolic heat.

Slow down and avoid strenuous activities.

Stay indoors.

People should also be aware of signs of heat exhaustion such as muscle cramping, heavy sweating, weakness, pale or clammy skin, a fast but weak pulse and nausea or vomiting, Valley Health Service officials said. If a person does exhibit those signs, they should seek a cooler place, drink a half-glass of cool water every 15 minutes, and remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths to the skin, Red Cross officials said.

If a person is suffering a heat stroke, Red Cross officials recommend people contact 911 immediately. They should then move that person to a cooler place, wrap them in wet towels or sheets, keep them lying down and continue to cool them off.

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