Portland records hottest day ever amid Northwest scorcher
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Utility workers and wildlife managers across the Pacific Northwest were trying to keep people and animals safe Saturday as a historic heat wave scorched the region and sent residents searching for relief.
Stores sold out of portable air conditioners and fans, some hospitals canceled outdoor vaccination clinics, cities opened cooling centers, baseball teams canceled or moved up weekend games, and utilities braced for possible power outages.
Portland had the hottest day ever recorded — reaching 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service. The previous record for Oregon’s largest city was 107 F (41.7 C), a mark hit in 1965 and 1981.
In Central Oregon, Redmond hit 101 degrees, tying the old June 26 record set in 2015 (and one-degree shy of the June record of 102), while other readings around the region included 110 at The Dalles and Pasco, Washington and 108 at Hermiston.
Seattle reached 101 F (38.3), making it the hottest June day on record and only the fourth time in recorded history the usually temperate city had topped 100 degrees.
Other cities and towns from Eastern Washington to Southern Oregon were also expected to break records, with temperatures in many areas expected to top out up to 30 degrees above normal. And the heat won't relent for several days.
It’s a dangerous forecast for a region accustomed to mild weather, and where many don’t have air conditioning.
Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/heat-waves-fires-wildfires-environment-and-nature-2d15c637c00e15862b592cf0d26638cd
