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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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Las Vegas, Nevada, experienced its hottest day ever on Sunday, as Harry Reid International Airport hit a record-shattering 120 degrees around 4 p.m. local time.
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"Well, it managed to hit 120 degrees at Harry Reid Airport International," the Las Vegas branch of the National Weather Service announced last night.
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Less than an hour earlier, the NWS had announced another preliminary record temperature for the day at 118 degrees. As of 2:33 p.m. local time, Harry Reid International Airport had reported a temperature of 118 degrees, breaking the previous record of 117 degrees hit in 1942, 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2021, according to NWS. By 3:15 p.m. local time, 119 degrees had been recorded at the airport.
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The record-breaking temperature comes as Las Vegas is under an excessive heat warning which is expected to stay in place through at least Thursday, July 11. The NWS warned residents to expect "dangerously hot conditions for an unusually long period" in parts of northwest Arizona, southeast California and south central and southern Nevada.
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A series of daily record high temperatures were already broken this weekend across the three states. The Death Valley in California reported 129 degrees, previously recorded only in 2007; Barstow-Daggett, California, reported 118 degrees, breaking the 1989 record of 116 degrees; Bishop, California, reported 111 degrees, four degrees above the 2021 record of 107 degrees. Palm Springs, California, reported a new all-time heat record with 124 degrees on Friday.
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Kingman, Arizona, recorded 112 degrees, a record temperature reached once before in 2017.
The July heat wave comes on the heels of the hottest June on record according to NASA's global temperature analysis, which marked the 13th-consecutive month of record-high temperatures for our planet. It's a trend that scientists believe to be closely linked to global warming and the reckless burning of fossil fuels.
Excessively high temperatures can be extremely dangerous for people's health, especially for vulnerable subjects such as young children and the elderly. The NWS urged residents of the affected areas in Arizona, California and Nevada to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.
Young children and pets should not be left in unattended vehicles, as car interiors "will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes," the agency said. People should also reduce time spent outside and avoid strenuous activities outdoors.
Excessive heat is likely to cause heat exhaustion, which symptoms include cool, moist, pale skin; headache; dizziness; weakness or exhaustion; and nausea, as listed by the NWS.
The most serious illness caused by excessive high temperatures is heat stroke, which can be fatal. Its symptoms include "vomiting; confusion; throbbing headache; decreased alertness or loss of consciousness; high body temperature (above 105F); hot, dry skin; rapid, weak pulse; rapid, shallow breathing; and seizures," the NWS said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that a total of more than 14,000 Americans have died directly from heat-related causes since 1979.
The sweltering heat has heightened the risk of wildfires spreading in California, as the dry and hot weather makes it harder to contain a blaze. "Remember, one less spark could mean one less wildfire," the California Fire Department of Forestry and Fire Protection wrote on X.
Update 7/8/24, 3:50 a.m. ET: This breaking news story has been updated with more background information.
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