An Arizona desert community shattered the United States’ record for the hottest March temperature on Thursday, as an intense heatwave grips the West Coast.
The National Weather Service reported that Martinez Lake, an unincorporated area in the Yuma Desert, registered this unprecedented heat.
This remote community, nestled along the Colorado River, experienced a scorching 110 degrees, setting a new benchmark.
Previously, the highest March temperature was 108 degrees, recorded in Rio Grande City, Texas, back in 1954.
This relentless heatwave is sweeping across the West Coast, leading several cities to report their hottest March days in over 40 years.
Phoenix, located about 145 miles from Martinez Lake, also felt the heat, with temperatures soaring to 101 degrees on Wednesday, surpassing its 1988 record.
All hiking trails in the capital city were closed as officials encouraged the public to avoid strenuous activity that could induce heat-related illnesses, like a heat stroke.
North Shore, California, tied a US record on Wednesday when the mercury soared to 108 degrees.
Las Vegas inched up to 99 degrees Wednesday, breaking its previous record of 93 degrees set in 2022. That same day, downtown Los Angeles stayed steady at 94 degrees, also shattering its own record of 87 degrees originally set in 1997.
Thermal, California is bracing for a 110-degree temps on Friday.
Ruben Pantaleon, of Thermal, was chugging electrolyte drinks by the bottle while he cleaned car windshields at an intersection in the Coachella Valley community on Thursday. Even while sweating buckets, he maintained an optimistic outlook.
“It’s the desert. It gets real hot. I’m not worried about it,” he said.
Temperatures in the West Coast will remain unseasonably high — anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees above the average — until Sunday, the NWS warned.
With Post wires
