The Seattle region was slightly cooler but still topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on Saturday for a fifth straight day, compared to normal temperatures in the high 70s. “Right now it's looking like Tuesday, we'll start to get closer to normal but still in the 80's, and by Wednesday we should be a touch below normal temperatures,” he said. He expects relief from the hot weather will come mid-week. The region's heat waves also seem to be getting stronger in general, Weagle said. It's the urban island effect' - the downtown Portland core has been built up so much, and that concrete is slower to cool down overnight than a rural valley or even suburban neighbourhood would.” “That really impacts people who don't have air conditioning. “It's an increasingly common issue with our heatwaves, the lack of recovery at night,” Weagle said. Many homes in the region lack air conditioning. The temperatures have remained abnormally high at night - only dropping to about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) - making it hard for residents to adequately cool off their homes before the sun rises, Weagle said. A new record could be set on Sunday, Weagle said. Shawn Weagle, a NWS meteorologist based in Portland, said on Saturday that the region had likely tied its record for its longest heat wave with six consecutive days in a row topping 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for both the Portland and Seattle, Washington, regions lasting through late Sunday evening, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). Temperatures have neared the triple digits in Portland the entire week, hitting a high of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday. Nearly 250 people used the overnight shelters on Friday night, she said. Jessica Mokert-Shibley, a spokesperson with Multnomah County, said the county, the city of Portland and other organisations would keep overnight cooling centers open through Sunday evening. The other six suspected hyperthermia deaths occurred earlier in the week in Multnomah, Umatilla and Marion counties. The most recent suspected heat-related death was announced by Clackamas County officials on Saturday, Portland television station KOIN-TV reported.Ĭounty officials said the elderly man died in his home, where he did not have a working air conditioner. Authorities in the Portland, Oregon, region said they would keep cooling shelters open through Sunday night as a likely record-breaking heat wave brought scorching weather to the normally temperate region.Īt least seven people are suspected to have died from hyperthermia since the hot spell began a week ago.
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