Thursday, July 14, 2005 | 11:03 a.m.
Hotter than normal temperatures could continue through the weekend, forecasters warned Wednesday after some thermometers in Las Vegas reached unofficial temperatures as high as 120 degrees.
The official high Wednesday was 114 degrees at McCarran International Airport. The National Weather Service extended its excessive heat warning for Southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona and southeastern California through Friday as temperatures are expected to approach record or near-record highs.
Temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley are running 10 degrees above normal or more each day.
Today's temperature in Las Vegas was expected to reach 113 degrees or above. The record is 116, set in 1972.
The official temperature at McCarran International Airport sizzled at 114 degrees Wednesday, one degree shy of the record set in 1939, Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Schlott said.
Neighborhood thermometers on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Eastern Avenue pegged at 120 degrees Wednesday afternoon.
Laughlin hit 119 degrees and Death Valley reported 123 degrees, Schlott said.
"It's uncomfortable," Schlott said. "No matter how dry it is, it's hot."
Although Southwest monsoonal moisture from Mexico normally arrives about this time of year, the humidity has stayed east of Southern Nevada. If clouds arrive, they could produce dry lightning storms in the mountains, Schlott said.
"It's the desert," Schlott said. "Heat is something not to look forward to, but to expect."
Clark County Fire Department paramedics responded to five heat-related calls on Tuesday, two on Monday and one on Sunday, fire department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. No calls for heat stroke or heat exhaustion were reported on Wednesday, he said.
Although summer heat in the valley is expected, the current heat wave does seem to be a little more intense than those of some previous summers, Leinbach said.
But even so, the county fire department's paramedics have responded to fewer heat-related calls since June 1 this year than they did in the same period last year, he said -- 38 compared with 40.
There could be any number of reasons for that. Maybe more people are simply being more careful this year.
The best advice Leinbach has for beating the heat includes staying indoors in air-conditioned shelter, drinking water frequently throughout the day and checking vehicles for children and pets before leaving the family car.
There has already been one child who died after being left in a hot car this summer.
Sixteen-month-old Jozia Diaz-Beltran's father told police he forgot she was in his sport utility vehicle when he parked outside a relative's home in the 400 block of Frederick Avenue near Alexander Road and D Street on Friday afternoon and went inside with a 6-year-old child.
The baby was left in the SUV with the windows rolled up for about three hours before she was taken out, police said.
Police and paramedics were called about 6:45 p.m., according to police logs. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sgt. Chris Jones, police spokesman, said the investigation is ongoing and the case will be submitted to the district attorney's office. In prior cases where someone forgot a child was in a car, resulting in a fatality, no charges were filed.
According to the Kids in Cars child-safety organization, 18 children have died since 1996 in Nevada as a result of being left in vehicles.
A new state law says parents can be charged with a misdemeanor for leaving young children alone in a vehicle, but legislators put an effective date of Oct. 1 on the statute so it can't be applied in this case.
Officials have repeatedly warned that a car is like a hot greenhouse when its windows are closed, so temperatures inside can climb to 30 degrees higher than the outside temperature.
Even adults who are going to be driving around town should stay prepared for the heat that can build up inside vehicles. Everyone should try to carry bottles of water whenever leaving the home or office in case of traffic jams or a car breakdown, Leinbach said.
On Monday, for example, a 68-year-old woman whose car had broken down near Hoover Dam on Monday suffered a heat stroke and had to be airlifted to St. Rose Dominican Hospital Siena Campus, Park Service spokeswoman Roxanne Dey said.
The woman, whose name and hometown were not released, had been exposed to temperatures above 110 degrees for more than 2 1/2 hours, Dey said.
National Park Service rangers discovered her two miles south of Hoover Dam, Dey said.
Andy North, a spokesman at the hospital, said federal law prohibited him from informing the public about the woman, whether she survived or what her condition was.
The woman was likely dehydrated and suffered hyperthermia -- an excessively high body temperature.
People perspiring process huge amounts of water, so by drinking water before thirst sets in, dehydration in the desert can be avoided, Leinbach said.
He recommended avoiding beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which cause more dehydration.
People should watch for signs of confusion, weakness, fainting and difficulty in making decisions in the very young and the very old. These symptoms are signs of heat-related problems that can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can be life-threatening, Leinbach said.
Plenty of people throughout the valley are apparently cranking up their air conditioners to try to beat the heat as well. Nevada Power Company broke its record of 5,062 megawatts set on Tuesday by reaching a peak of 5,296 megawatts of electricity delivered Wednesday, company spokeswoman Sonya Headen said.
As the hot weather continues, Nevada Power officials said peak electricity use could be surpassed again this week.
In addition to hotter days, customer growth has driven greater demand for electricity, Headen said. Nevada Power has roughly 740,000 customers today compared with 700,000 a year ago.
In addition to running major appliances before 1 p.m. and after 7 p.m. each day, Nevada Power suggests performing regular maintenance on air conditioners; changing air-conditioning filters monthly; sealing leaks around doors and windows; blocking out sunlight by using shades, blinds or curtains; using solar screens and shade trees; keeping garage doors closed; and cooking outdoors or in evening hours if inside the home.
A programmable thermostat to keep indoor air temperatures between 78 and 80 degrees during the day, then raising the setting to between 82 and 86 degrees when residents are away or asleep costs from $50 to $80. The thermostat will pay for itself this summer, Headen said.
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