Excessive heat to boil West, Southwest U.S.
Summer doesn't officially start until Wednesday, but parts of the West and Southwest are already broiling in a triple-digit heat wave.
- 119 degrees in Furnace Creek, California
- 113 in Blue Water, Arizona
- 112 in Midland, Texas
It's making conditions even more dangerous for crews battling wildfires.
Temperatures in parts of California are expected to rise as high as 25 degrees above normal.
Sizzling temperatures across the region could break records. And another cause for concern -- air quality. Unhealthy to very unhealthy levels of heat-induced ozone pollution are expected in several inland communities.
Excessive heat warnings extend to Nevada , parts of Utah and in Arizona, where over a dozen wildfires are burning around the state. Six firefighters had to be treated for heat-related illness while battling the highline fire in Payson. Temperatures in Phoenix are expected to reach 120 degrees.
The hottest temperatures will arrive in the Southwest Monday and last through the end of next week. In the southern California desert, highs in Death Valley could soar to 127 degrees.
