Seattle Will Be Hotter Than Cairo This Weekend

'This is an unprecedented event'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2021 3:53 AM CDT
Unprecedented Heat Wave Will Bake Northwest
Record-high heat is forecast in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, raising concerns about wildfires and the health of people in a region where many don't have air conditioning.   (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

A record-breaking heat wave in the Northwest will make Seattle hotter than Cairo this weekend and authorities are scrambling to find ways to keep vulnerable residents cool. The National Weather Service predicts that temperatures in the city will hit 100 on Sunday and a record-breaking 104 on Monday, the Seattle Times. "This is an unprecedented event,” meteorologist Reid Wolcott said Thursday. Authorities "have never seen forecast data like this before." Records are expected to fall across Washington state, Oregon, and Idaho, bringing temperatures usually found in places like Las Vegas and Phoenix to a region where millions don't have home air-conditioning, CNN reports. In Portland, forecasters say temperatures could top 107 Monday, making it the hottest day in the city's history.

The National Weather Service says it will likely be a "historic heat wave," with temperatures reaching 114 degrees in some parts of the region, the AP reports. The NWS says the dangerously hot conditions will last from Friday until at least Tuesday. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says many indoor spaces are still closed or at reduced capacity because of the pandemic, but 13 air-conditioned public library branches will remain open, along with an emergency cooling center. She urges residents to limit strenuous outdoor activities and check on vulnerable neighbors. The Red Cross says the risk of wildfires will be high and residents should prepare evacuation plans and emergency kits. (More heat wave stories.)

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