00:00It has been a blistering August in the southwest, with many areas running between 4 and 6 degrees above the
00:05historical average.
00:06This time of the year, if you're above average in the southwest, it is sweltering.
00:10So we're going to continue to see near-record highs in parts of the interior west,
00:14and even some parts of coastal California dabbling near record highs.
00:19In L.A., it may not be about the extreme nature of the heat,
00:22but it is about the prolonged nature of this long-running heat wave there in L.A.
00:27So this week, some of the worst of the heat is in the deserts of the southwest.
00:32Places around Yuma, Arizona, Phoenix, and Tucson have been dabbling near-record highs.
00:37That will continue for Thursday and Friday in many areas as well.
00:41Fire danger has been a big concern across the west.
00:44We're deep into the dry season, vegetation tender dry,
00:46and even the lightest of winds can pick up in the afternoon in the canyons and passes,
00:51fanning the flames of wildfires.
00:53There will be a more significant increase in wind speed late this week.
00:57Cooler air rolls into the northwest, but the winds pick up, continuing the fire danger.
