A heat wave gripped large swaths of the western U.S. on Saturday (August 1, 2026) as temperatures hovered near record highs, heightening wildfire risks in areas that already are dry or burning and prompting warnings for people to stay inside.

A ridge of high pressure is holding heat close to the ground — what’s known as a heat dome — from Arizona to Montana, though the good news is that it will be relatively short-lived, National Weather Service meteorologists said.

Dangerous heat and warnings were plaguing the region Saturday, and the National Weather Service on Saturday (August 1) forecast a high of 115° Fahrenheit (46° Celsius) in Las Vegas, the hottest temperature of the year. Phoenix was expected to reach 116°F (47°C), while El Centro, California, was expected to hit a record 118°F (48°C). Even parts of Montana were expected to broil, with a record 104°F (40°C) forecast for Great Falls.

In Las Vegas, Saturday’s (August 1) forecast high was 10 degrees above normal, with meteorologists warning of dangerous heat through Sunday (August 2), when the high is expected to be 114, said weather service meteorologist Morgan Stessman.

Overnight lows in the upper 80s to low 90s will make the situation especially dangerous because it doesn’t allow people’s bodies to recover. “There’s just no relief overnight,” Mr. Stessman said.

People were being urged to stay indoors and hydrated.

At the Justa Center in Phoenix, which caters to seniors but opens to the public as a cooling centre in the afternoon, the biggest challenge is keeping up with the need for water and electrolytes, said operations director Rudy Soliz. He said about 200 people come in daily.

“Anybody can come in, get a meal, sign up, get checked in through the cooling centre, sit down, relax, watch a little TV, you know, catch themselves before they move on to another cooling centre or their destination,” he said.

Several cities nearing record temperatures

The August record for Las Vegas is 116°F (47°C), while the hottest on record was 120°F (49°C) in July 2024, which also was the hottest summer on record, Mr. Stessman said.

In Montana, the entire east side of the state was under an extreme heat warning on Saturday (August 1), though by Sunday (August 2), much of the state will be in the 70s, said weather service meteorologist Jeff Kitsmiller.

Great Falls was heading toward a record high of 104°F (40°C), which would top its previous record of 101°F (38°C), while Helena was expected to match or surpass its record of 102°F (39°C), he said.

Still, it’s not as bad as the heat wave in mid-July, when some areas broke all-time records, including Billings, which reached 111°F (44°C) on July 12, Mr. Kitsmiller said.

“That was a rare heat wave,” he said. “This one fits for this time of year.” The Montana Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Billings, opened its doors earlier than usual on Saturday (August 1) to provide relief from temperatures that could reach 106°F (41°C). Dozens of people were expected throughout the day, and the shelter planned to provide dinner, beds and breakfast, a receptionist said.

Great Falls Parks and Recreation’s four swimming pools and three splash pads were crowded with people trying to beat the heat, said Katy Houseman, who works at one of the city’s recreation centres.

“They’re definitely hitting the pools and doing the splash pads outside and then trying to hide inside where there’s air conditioning,” said Ms. Houseman. “It’s super, super hot today.”

Heat is exacerbating wildfire risks

Forecasters were warning that this heat wave, combined with drying from past heat, will add to wildfire risks across the west.

“We’re definitely worried about that” in Montana, where fires already are burning and high winds are forecast for the weekend, said Mr. Kitsmiller, adding that most of the state was under a red flag warning.

In Nevada, “with this heat dome setting up, we’ve lost some of the moisture that we did have — like relative humidity in the afternoon bottoming out in the single digits in quite a few places,” Mr. Stessman said.

The U.S. Forest Service has said there is an enhanced wildfire risk through Sunday (August 2) in most of southern California except for the coastline.

Extreme heat and drought also have created dangerous wildfire conditions in the Pacific northwest.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Saturday (August 1) after unusually high temperatures and high winds exacerbated record wildfires across the state. He also banned most outdoor and agricultural burning through the end of September.

Mr. Ferguson’s proclamation went into effect ahead of an unprecedented “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Alert by the National Weather Service, which rated the weather risk as “extreme” across eastern Washington. More than 808 square kilometres are currently burning in 12 large fires.

A red flag alert also was given for eastern Oregon, where crews are battling several large wildfires, including the Rowe Creek Complex fire, which has grown to 1,269 square kilometres with 57% containment.

Climate change making heatwaves, wildfires more frequent

Climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is causing larger, more intense and longer-lasting heat waves — which lead to more intense droughts and contribute to larger, more destructive wildfires.

This year’s weather is also expected to be affected by El Nino, a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns and spikes temperatures across the globe.

The current El Nino is expected to rank as among the most intense since the weather service began tracking the phenomenon in 1950, experts said. It’s already broken records for intensity at its early stages, United Nations officials warned on Friday (July 31).

Published – August 02, 2026 05:56 am IST

At least 24 people have now been confirmed dead due to massive wildfires around Los Angeles with California Governor Gavin Newsom saying it could be the most devastating natural disaster in US history, which has also destroyed thousands of homes.

Los Angeles County in the US has been battling devastating wildfires for the past five days. At least 11 people are dead and thousands of structures, which include homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. While the fires that have devastated celebrity neighbourhoods near Malibu have caught the world’s attention, a similar-sized blaze in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, has ravaged Altadena, where rows of neat bungalows once nestled. But as the embers cooled, some residents whose homes were ravaged in the inferno returned to see what remained. 

According to the BBC, many residents of Altadena found small trinkets that brought smiles to their faces amid a hellish ordeal. Six-year-old Henry Giles was among one of them. When the little boy returned to his home in Altadena with his parents, he found a bucket and a toy lawnmower that survived the inferno. “Mommy look, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!” he excitedly yelled, per the outlet. 

Another man, 52-year-old Larry Villescas, was also able to find a few things, including a wedding gift from 25 years ago. He said that he found a Christmas ornament, a Dr Suess book and something that nearly brought him to tears. 

“We found a dish and a bowl that’s part of a dish set that my great aunt gave us on our wedding day. It’s lasted 24 years. We’ve been together 29 and we got married four years later, and so 24 years old that bowl and that plate, believe it or not,” he told the BBC. 

Also Read | Los Angeles Battles Historic Wildfires, Yet Its Air Quality Is Better Than Delhi’s

Even though not much survived the fire, a few other residents were able to find small things that are now even more special to them. Daron Anderson said that he found a white and blue flowered vase from the pile of debris that stayed together. “I know my mom will like it,” he said, adding, “It’s small, but it’s something.”

Another woman sifted through charred coins to find two pearls belonging to her mother’s necklace, while her neighbour managed to find a power saw and an antique hand tool. 

LA wildfires to be costliest US disaster 

Meanwhile, as firefighters continue to combat the Eaton Fire, its destruction has taken a toll on the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities. At least 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the area, CBS News reported. Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that crews have made good progress on portions of the blaze, while other areas are still very active.

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already surpassing $135 billion. According to a preliminary estimate by private forecaster AccuWeather, the total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen. 
 

Los Angeles County in the US has been battling devastating wildfires for the past few days. Today, half of the city is on fire. The inferno has ripped through more than 19,000 acres of Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The death toll from the wildfires has continued to climb with at least 10 people known to have died and that toll may grow. However, astonishingly, even amidst the natural calamity, LA’s air remains significantly cleaner than that of Delhi. 

The AQI in the US city was recorded at 154 today, which is far better than the air quality in the Indian capital. Delhi’s air quality continued in the “very poor” category. According to IMD, the AQI was recorded at 372 in Delhi today. 

This stark contrast highlights a troubling reality for Delhi, where poor air has become a daily struggle. Noting the same, an X user shared a side-by-side comparison of AQI recorded in Delhi and LA on Friday. “Half of LA is on fire, but the air is still cleaner than Delhi’s,” the user wrote. 

Take a look below: 

Half of LA is on fire, but the air is still cleaner than Delhi’s https://t.co/hQrRvjZFXI pic.twitter.com/AdLVYRkK4u

— Abhinav Kukreja (@kukreja_abhinav) January 9, 2025

In the comments section, several users pointed out that the air quality in LA is even better than in Mumbai. Some of them explained the cause, noting that it is because of the wind velocity and direction of it. 

“Wind direction is the cause, people burn parali in Haryana and Punjab, and effect is seen in Delhi, same wind caused havoc by supporting its spread and also protected air quality!” explained one user. “While Delhi aqi is truly awful, I don’t think the comparison with a coastal city with heavy winds is very accurate,” commented another. 

The Air Quality Index, often referred to as AQI, is a federal measure of the amount of air pollution. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good,’ 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory,’ 101 and 200 ‘moderate,’ 201 and 300 ‘poor,’ 301 and 400 ‘very poor,’ and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. 

Also Read | Pics: Losses From Deadly Wildfires Across Los Angeles Likely To Hit $60 Billion

Meanwhile, five fires are still burning in LA. A Los Angeles County fire official said an untold number of significant injuries were linked to two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles described Tuesday night as “one of the most devastating and terrifying” that she had seen in her corner of the city.

Nearly 180,000 people are under evacuation orders due to the wildfires. Another 200,000 residents are under evacuation warnings. 

Thousands of structures, which include homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. The insured losses from this week’s fires may exceed $20 billion, and total economic losses could reach $50 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan on Thursday.