After the hottest June ever, the US puts the key to new heat waves in West By Reuters

(Reuters) – Western states are poised for tougher weather after a number of people were killed in the hottest June in the United States this weekend, with power outages and reservoirs depleted.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning of excessive heat for much of the West until Monday evening, and has forecast “dangerous heat conditions,” including a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius) in Death Valley, California.

Temperatures are expected to rise above 100 degrees F (40 degrees C) in many situations.

“The longest is likely to compete for or break high temperature values,” the weather service said, warning of the high risk of heat-related illnesses.

The long heat wave, which coincides with a record drought, has already killed at least 116 people in Oregon alone, a state medical examiner said.

The northwestern extremities of the Pacific would be “almost impossible” without human-induced climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution in collaboration with climate scientists around the world.

The color-coded map of the National Weather Service shows most parts of California and Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona to warn of excessive heat, which means temperatures will reach or exceed 105 degrees. https://twitter.com/NWSWPC/status/1413526441967472642/photo/1

More patches from these states plus Washington, New Mexico, and Colorado are colored orange to advise heat, when temperatures are expected to be between 100 and 104 degrees.

This comes after the hottest June in record 127 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The average June temperature in the United States was 72.6 or 4.2 degrees above the average, surpassing the record set in June 2016 by 0.9 degrees, NOAA said.

Eight states recorded the warmest June and six other states recorded the second warmest June, NOAA said.