Monday, April 27, 2020 | 1:02 p.m.
An excessive heat warning has been issued for Las Vegas, with the valley forecast to hit triple-digit temperatures Wednesday for the first time ever in April.
The warning, which covers Southern Nevada and extends to portions of northwest Arizona and southeast California, is in effect until Thursday.
Temperatures in the region will range from 97 to 103 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
“After Wednesday, things will start to gradually cool,” weather service meteorologists Caleb Steele said. “By Friday and Saturday, it’ll be in the mid-90s, and by the weekend it will be in the low 90s.”
Next week will level off in the low 90s, which is still about 10 degrees above normal for April, Steele said.
Las Vegas has not hit 100 degrees in April since the weather service started tracking temperature data in 1937, although it has gotten close, Steele said. The high has hit 99 several times during the month, as recently as April 29, 2013.
Forecasters urge people who plan to venture outdoors to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles.
“Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening,” says a warning posted by the weather service.
It remains unknown whether warmer temperatures will affect the spread of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
UNLV epidemiology expert Brian Labus said it's impossible to predict how desert heat will affect the new virus.
“We don’t understand much about it, including how it will be affected by changes in the seasons,” he said.
