'Apocalyptic' heat wave scorches US Southwest again

A digital sign displays a temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit as a heat wave continues to bake the Southwest United States in Las Vegas, Nevada

An extreme heat wave that has already shattered temperature records across the US Southwest threatened on Friday to push power systems to the brink of failure as residents cranked up air conditioners. California power grid operators, who have so far been able to keep the lights on, issued their latest ‘flex alert’ for Friday, asking homeowners across the state to conserve energy in the late afternoon and evening when demand surges. The heat, which comes amid years of drought across the Southwest, has strained power grids in California and Texas and fueled the spread of wildfires. ‘It feels somewhat apocalyptic with the record high heat, the smoke from wildfires tearing through the Sonoran desert and the news on the drought,’ said Emily Kirkland, a communications organizer for a Phoenix nonprofit group. ‘Just the 10-minute walk from my house to the light rail made me queasy.’