The USA is battling a heat wave. The US weather service is expecting “extreme” temperatures in large parts of the country by the end of the week. The Midwest and then the Northeast of the country will be affected first, it said. It is expected that numerous temperature records will be broken. According to the weather service, temperatures of well over 32 degrees Celsius are likely to be measured in many places. Temperatures of up to 34 degrees are forecast for the US metropolis of New York this week. In the capital Washington, 37 degrees are expected next weekend. According to the weather service, people in many places in the country must prepare for “extreme” heat. It will not really cool down at night either – in some places the temperature could only fall to 24 degrees.
Heat in USA and forest fire in California
There is another problem in the state of California: the fire service there has been fighting a forest fire in the US west coast state with over 1,600 helpers. By Monday evening (local time), an area of over 63 square kilometers in the Los Angeles district and the neighboring Ventura County to the west had been affected, according to the responsible emergency authority. The fire service has made progress. The fire was brought under control in around 20 percent of the area by the evening. The flames were initially prevented from spreading to towns. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
Access to Pyramid Lake, in the direction of which the flames were moving, had already been blocked by the authorities on Sunday. 1,200 people had to leave the affected region around 150 kilometers north of the metropolis of Los Angeles as a precaution, the fire department said. The fire is the largest fire in California so far this year. In the summer heat, strong winds quickly spread the flames in the dry vegetation.