June 27, 2021: A historic heat wave has warmed the Pacific Northwest where temperatures soared to triple digits on Saturday as local officials warned residents to be careful while power companies told consumers to save energy.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said all parts of Washington and Oregon and parts of Idaho, Wyoming and California were under extreme heat warning as temperatures averaged above the region over the weekend and next week. It was supposed to rise to 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the average.
“It’s unbearable. I left with the intention of going to the post office. Even the sunscreen, shade breaks and hydrating, I almost passed out,” a Twitter user who went by that Anne the Noble Land Waffle said. In Multonoma County, which covers the state’s largest city Portland, officials warn that highs well above 100 degrees could cause public transportation delays, strain emergency medical services and cause power outages.
In a short video posted online, County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Venus appealed to residents to go to a cooling center if they don’t have air conditioning, warning that the area is experiencing “deadly” heat.
Pacific Power, which serves 10 states, said in a statement that it did not anticipate heat-related service interruptions but asked customers to use less energy during the heat wave. Portland General Electric told the Oregonian that it will have about 120 crews working Saturday and Sunday to respond to any outages.
The NWS also warned of that the dry and breezy conditions could also lead to elevated fire weather concerns through early next week. The weather service was also expected to issue new red flag warnings in California and elsewhere to advise that the brutal conditions raise the risk of wildfires.
Wildfires scorched more than 6,500 square miles of land in 2020, destroying hundreds of Californian homes during a particularly fierce fire season.
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