Hottest Temperatures in Arizona and Nevada History Are Possible

A heat wave across the western United States, already facing a severe drought, could deliver temperatures above 125 degrees.

Arizona and Nevada are bracing for the possibility of record-breaking temperatures. Firefighters confronting small blazes in California may be forced to do so in triple-digit heat. The operator of the Texas power grid has urged residents to minimize their electricity usage or risk outages. A heat wave this week across the western United States, which is already facing the worst drought in two decades, will test electrical grids stressed by air-conditioning and endanger those unable to find relief. It reached 115 degrees in Phoenix on Monday, and temperatures are expected to continue climbing this week. Vincent Raynor has spent the past three days at a cooling center in the suburb of Chandler and his nights in a motel.