Brutal temperatures continue to bear down on the West Coast on Tuesday as forecasters warn that excessive heat will continue through the coming days. The heat wave, which started just before Labor Day weekend, has already broken at least a dozen temperature records in California as the state battles drought, fire and water shortages.
"Extreme, dangerous heat gripped much of the region on Monday and numerous official maximum record temperature records were tied or broken," the National Weather Service said of the San Francisco Bay area, including a preliminary 11 daily records and two monthly records.
In Livermore, temperatures on Monday hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit - the hottest day of all time, the service said. The previous record for Livermore was 108 degrees Fahrenheit in 1950. Kentfield also hit its highest temperature since 1950 at 107 degrees Fahrenheit. The San Francisco airport, Oakland Museum, Salinas, San Jose airport, King City, Redwood City, Napa, Gilroy and Santa Rosa, also hit daily records in the Bay Area.
The service also noted that "countless" sites hit temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, with several approaching 120. The afternoon temperatures in the Bay area were about 10 to 15 degrees above normal along the coast, and roughly 20 to 35 degrees above normal elsewhere.
Monday night brought little relief to the area with "oppressive overnight heat" staying in the upper 80s to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Weather Service said. Tuesday is expected to be even hotter as NOAA's Weather Prediction Center warns of the potential for "dozens of new daily high temperature records" across the U.S. West.
Central California also saw some record highs in several spots in the San Joaquin Valley as many other areas peaked at just under 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Fresno has a 50-50 chance of hitting 112 or more on Tuesday, which would be a monthly high for the city since records began in 1887, the National Weather Service said. Hanford, Madera, Bakersfield and Merced could also set monthly highs.
"Several September monthly high temperature records will also be within reach once again as the late-summer heat wave rages on," the agency predicted.
In a short-range forecast, the Weather Prediction Center also said that a majority of the Intermountain West could also see "highs soar to around the century mark" and that the northern and central Plains will see above-normal temperatures.
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The extreme heat is expected to last through at least Thursday - and has already taken a toll on the state's infrastructure.
Livermore's record-breaking heat Monday knocked out electricity to 3,500 customers by early Tuesday morning, according to CBS San Francisco. Many are still without power, as temperatures were already in the mid-70s by 8 a.m. PG&E expects that power will be restored by 3 p.m., but company officials told CBS San Francisco that rolling blackouts are still possible through the Bay Area amid a surge in electricity demand throughout the extreme heat.
"This is about to get significantly more intense," Elliot Mainzer, president and chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator, told CBS MoneyWatch of the power usage expectations.
California is also battling several environmental crises.
"In addition to the heat, extremely dry conditions are also expected which will increase fire risk," the National Weather Service said.
One fast-moving wildfire in Northern California destroyed more than 100 homes and killed at least two people. Fire conditions have only been amplified by the state's ongoing extreme drought, which is now in its third consecutive year. With hot and dry conditions expected to continue through November, fire season will be even longer this year.
The state's latest drought update, released Aug. 29, says that all of California's 58 counties are under a drought emergency and that residents have been asked to reduce water use by 15% - even while water is vital during the ongoing heat wave.