Temperatures soar as heat wave hits western US and Canada | Al Jazeera

Authorities in the western United States and Canada are warning residents to take precautions as a historic heat wave hit the region on Saturday, sending temperatures soaring and pushing local officials to open emergency cooling centres.

All of the US states of Washington and Oregon and parts of Idaho, Wyoming and California were under an excessive heat warning as temperatures were to rise dramatically during the weekend and through next week, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

“This event will likely be one of the most extreme and prolonged heat waves in the recorded history of the Inland Northwest,” the NWS said.

Across the region, dozens of daily record-high temperatures are expected to be set, with monthly and even all-time records in jeopardy of falling, the service said.

Some of the affected areas are generally accustomed to milder weather – and many residents do not have air conditioning, which has raised concerns about the safety of elderly, unhoused and other people who are particularly vulnerable in extreme heat.