The
first two fatalities recorded in the three-day heatwave took
place on Monday in Santa Clara County, California, south of San
Francisco, and included a homeless person found in a car, the
San Jose Mercury News reported.
The victims were identified only as a 72-year-old man and an
87-year-old woman.
"It is tragic when someone dies of hyperthermia since in most
every case it could have been prevented," Dr. Michelle Jorden of
the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office told the newspaper.
"Hyperthermia and heat stress happen when a body's
heat-regulation system cannot handle the heat. It can happen to
anyone, which is why it is so important to be in a cool
location, drink plenty of water and take a cool bath or shower
if you are getting too hot," Jorden said.
The extreme heat, brought on by a high-pressure system parked
over the Four Corners region where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico,
and Arizona meet, has boosted temperatures well above normal
across much of the Southwest.
The bodies of a 57-year-old father and his 21-year-old son from
Corpus Christi, Texas, were found earlier this week in the
Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, where they were
hiking, media reported.
New Mexico State Police told an NBC affiliate in New Mexico that
the scorching temperatures, which were over 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), contributed to the deaths of
the men.
The National Weather Service and local authorities issued heat
advisories and warnings, urging residents to stay indoors and to
drink plenty of water if they were outdoors. Power grid
operators encouraged customers to use electricity sparingly to
avoid a shutdown or blackout.
The sizzling weather forced the cancellation of more than 20
flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and delays
at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Aviation experts
say the hotter, thinner air saps power from airline engines.
The heat can also create issues for ground crews, where pavement
temperatures can reach more than 150 degrees F (66 C), a
life-threatening condition if workers are exposed to it too
long.
Temperatures reached 127 F (52.8 C) in California's Death Valley
at the peak of the heat wave on Tuesday afternoon but cooler
weather was expected across the region by the end of the week.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Brendan O'Brien; Editing by
Leslie Adler and Paul Tait)
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