3-day excessive heat warning issued for Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley this week will experience one of its hottest and most dangerous stretches yet in 2018, according to the National Weather Service.
The sweltering forecast prompted the weather service to issue an excessive heat warning from Tuesday through Thursday. A high of 111 degrees is forecast for Tuesday, followed by a high of 113 on Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The temperature is expected tick up to 114 on Thursday, which would be the valley’s hottest day this year. The first day of summer, June 21, topped out at 113 degrees. The normal high for this time of year is 105.
Weather officials are waiting to determine whether the warning will be extended to Friday, which has a forecast high of 111.
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“Just drink plenty of water,” weather service meteorologist Chris Outler said. “Try to stay indoors as much as you can.”
Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg urged people to check on friends and loved ones who live alone.
“Don’t assume they’re OK in this heat,” he said. “It’s very dangerous.”
Last week, Fudenberg said extreme heat likely contributed to seven deaths over a two-day stretch. He said Monday that his office suspects “a large number” of those deaths will be attributed to the heat, but investigations into those cases have not been finalized.
Weekend highs are expected to drop to near 106, the weather service said, and lows throughout the week are expected to linger in the mid-80s to low 90s.
Homeless people and the elderly are the most vulnerable in hot conditions, Fudenberg said.
Clark County is offering three daytime shelters for homeless people through Sept. 30. Additionally, 10 cooling stations will be available throughout the Las Vegas Valley during this week’s excessive heat warning. Two stations will be available in Laughlin during the same time.
Expect temperatures to warm & the Heat Risk to increase rapidly this https://t.co/YntymLkkVZ aware & be prepared! #HeatRisk #BeatTheHeat #nvwx #cawx #azwx pic.twitter.com/KrBEGYH1Dj
— NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) July 23, 2018
Doctors at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and Spring Valley Hospital on Monday said they hadn’t seen an influx of patients with symptoms of heat-related illness, but they anticipated that high temperatures this week could land more people in the emergency department.
Dr. Kathleen Cornia, Spring Valley’s emergency room medical director, said staying indoors, drinking cold water and wearing loose-fitted clothing can help people stay cool. Wearing sunscreen and limiting alcohol intake also can help keep people safe, she said.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Jessie Bekker contributed to this report.
