Pacific Northwest heat wave may break records

An early heat-wave this weekend might exceed May’s recorded temperatures in areas of the Pacific Northwest, as the current temperatures are “unusual,” said Miles Higa, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Portland office.

In response, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for most of Oregon and Washington state western parts. The advisory lasts from Saturday through Monday, when temperatures are expected to be around 34.4 C.

Residents were also told to aware of cold-water shocks, potentially resulting from swimming in rivers or lakes to cool off. “Rivers are still running cold… and temperatures … probably in the low- to mid-40s (4.4 to 7.2 C) right now,” Higa stated.

Rising temperatures also threaten to intensify wildfires already occurring in western Canada. Scorching temperature in Pacific Northwest have caused the death of around 800 people in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.