A scorching heat wave is causing large parts of the USA to groan, claiming lives in the West and affecting the East

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After the heat wave in the West over the weekend claimed numerous lives and broke records, the USA will be hit by another long-lasting heat wave on Monday. Temperatures in the triple digits are forecast for large parts of the East Coast.

Dangerous temperatures caused the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley.

The U.S. heat wave came as global temperatures hit a record high for the 13th consecutive month in June and the 12th month in a row that the Earth was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, Europe’s Copernicus climate service said in a statement early Monday.

An extreme heat warning, the highest level of warning issued by the National Weather Service, was in effect for about 36 million people, or about 10% of the population, meteorologist Bryan Jackson said. Dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest met or exceeded previous heat records.

On Saturday and Sunday, a maximum temperature of 53.3 degrees Celsius was measured in Death Valley National Park in eastern California. One visitor died there on Saturday as a result of excessive heat, and another person was hospitalized, authorities said.

The two visitors were part of a group of six motorcyclists who were riding through the Badwater Basin area in scorching hot weather, the park said in a statement.

The identity of the deceased person has not been determined. The other motorcyclist was taken to a Las Vegas hospital for “severe heat illness,” the statement said. The high temperatures prevented rescue helicopters from responding because the aircraft generally cannot fly safely in temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, officials said.

The other four members of the group were treated on site.

“While it is very exciting to experience potentially world-record temperatures in Death Valley, we advise visitors to choose their activities carefully and avoid spending extended periods of time outside of an air-conditioned vehicle or building during such high temperatures,” said park ranger Mike Reynolds.

Officials warned that heat illnesses and injuries are cumulative and can build up over the course of one or more days.

“In addition to not being able to cool down while riding due to the high ambient temperatures, experiencing Death Valley by motorcycle in this heat is another challenge, as heavy safety equipment must be worn to avoid injury in the event of an accident,” the park’s statement said.

On the other side of the Nevada desert, a new temperature record of 48.8 °C (120 °F) was set in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Triple-digit temperatures were common throughout Oregon, and several records were broken, including in Salem, where temperatures reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, surpassing the 1960 mark of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius). Temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) were common on the wetter east coast, though there were no extreme heat warnings for Sunday.

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, avoid the sun and check on relatives and neighbors,” says a weather warning for the Baltimore area. “Small children and pets should never be left unattended in the car under any circumstances.”

Heat records broken throughout the Southwest

Isolated heat warnings were even extended to higher elevations, for example around Lake Tahoe on the border between California and Nevada. The weather service in Reno, Nevada, warned of “significant heat risks, even in the mountains.”

“What kind of heat are we talking about? Well, highs across (Western Nevada and Northeast California) won’t drop below 100 degrees (37.8 degrees) until next weekend,” the service posted online. “And unfortunately, there won’t be much relief overnight, either.”

Even more extreme highs are forecast in the near future, including possibly 130 °F (54.4 °C) around midweek in Furnace Creek, California, in Death Valley. The highest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth was 134 °F (56.67 °C) in July 1913 in Death Valley, although some experts dispute that measurement and say the true record is 130 °F (54.4 °C) recorded there in July 2021.

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Weber reported from Los Angeles. AP journalists Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska, and Walter Berry in Phoenix contributed to this report.