Parts of the US Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, Canada, are reporting their hottest temperatures on record in a wave that is expected to persist into the beginning of the week and pose a dangerous risk of heat-related illness, according to The Washington Post.
Seattle has already topped its all-time record high when thermometers climbed to 104 degrees on Sunday. On Friday, extreme heat threatened around 22 million people as most of Oregon, Washington and Idaho fell under excessive heat watches and warnings, NBC reported.
Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Medford and other population centers have opened up extra cooling centers. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service have stated that temperatures are expected to taper off later in the week as heavy thunderstorms loom on the horizon.