July 4 :
Just before the long Fourth of July weekend, meteorologists predicted dangerously high temperatures across a large portion of the United States. Meanwhile, thousands of people in California were forced to flee their homes due to a fast-moving wildfire. Heat advisories and warnings will affect 21 states, 110 million people, over the Christmas season in the West, the southern Plains, and the Mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service predicted that temperatures will rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) for the next few days.
According to meteorologist Jacob Asherman of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, "It's really hot; I don't know how else to put it." "We're having excessively hot weather across a lot of the country."
Hot weather arrives as the nation starts its Independence Day weekend, a time when many people go outside for celebrations such as music festivals, parades, and firework displays.
The meteorological service predicted that Jackson, Mississippi, famed for its hot weather, would reach 114 F (46 C) on July 5, while the normally mild Portland, Oregon, was projected to hit 100 F (38 C), breaking a record for the date.
"It was a big deal if it hit 90," recalled Jen Scott, a hardware store manager and a Portland native, when she was a kid. Days in early July would normally reach a high of the low 80s.
The temperature, though, has been steadily rising over the past several years. "But one hundred is bonkers," she exclaimed. "We're not used to this."
Fans and air conditioners have been selling like hotcakes, according to Scott, manager of Portland's Pearl Ace Hardware.
"Remember to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activities, and make sure neighbors, relatives, and pets have a cool place to spend the day," the weather service's Jackson office warned on X.
With no respite in sight, the Southwest weather is predicted to bring Phoenix temperatures of 113 F (45 C) on July 3 and 116 F (47 C) by July 5. The capital of Arizona had 54 days in the summer of 2017 with temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) or higher, including 31 days in a row from June through July. This was a record-breaking streak.
The 500 firemen fighting the so-called Thompson Fire, which started on July 1st, had it particularly rough due to the extreme heat, strong winds, and low humidity in Northern California.
Approximately 13,000 people were evacuated from their houses as a result of the uncontrolled fire that has consumed 2,000 acres (809 hectares) in Oroville and Butte County, as reported by fire officials and media outlets.
Fires tore through buildings and engulfed cars in images and videos shot in the region around 65 miles (105 km) north of Sacramento, the capital of the state.
Because of the poor air quality, 7.7 million people living in the Bay Area were advised not to let off fireworks on July 4th and to limit their driving as smoke from fires in Northern California drifted south into San Francisco.
