National Weather Service meteorologists John Dumas said cooling ocean breezes haven't been traveling far enough inland to fan the region's overheated valleys and deserts. In Northern California, record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Sacramento, where the high was 107F (42C); Marysville reached 109F (43F); and Stockton saw 106F (41C).
Elvis impersonator Cristian Morales wipes sweat from his brow while standing out on The Strip posing for photos with tourists in Las Vegas. Photograph: Julie Jacobson/AP Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who cannot afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend. Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit, because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat.
