‘Dangerous’ heatwave expected to rewrite history in US

With warnings of "dangerous" heat levels into the next week, parts of the United States are expected to endure record temperatures, National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted on Sunday.

Nearly a third of Americans are currently under heat advisories as extreme temperatures are likely to hit several states in the next week.

The Met Office urged people not to underestimate the risk to life as a sweltering 118°F (48°C) was recorded in Phoenix and Arizona a day earlier, BBC reported.

As per the data, the mercury hit 110°F (43°C) for 16th consecutive day in the US, which is almost a record.

According to the publication, homeless people suffering from third-degree burns were being treated at the mobile clinics in the areas.

Hottest temperatures ever recorded on Earth

Death Valley in California — one of the hottest places in the world — is expected to see 129°F (54°C), nearing the hottest temperatures ever reliably recorded on Earth.

The met office said that local records could also be set on Sunday in the San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert, and Great Basin regions.

According to the statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 700 people are estimated to die each year from heat-related causes in the US.

The temperatures in America's south-west are the result of an upper-level ridge of high pressure, which typically brings with it warmer temperatures, the NWS said earlier, adding that the heatwave was "one of the strongest" systems of its kind to hit the region.

Las Vegas, Nevada, may also record their all-time high of 117°F (47°C) in the next few days.

Weather officials there warned locals who thought they could handle the temperatures that this was "not your typical desert heat".

"'It's the desert, of course it's hot'- This is a DANGEROUS mind set!", the NWS in Las Vegas tweeted.

"This heatwave is NOT typical desert heat due to its long duration, extreme daytime temperatures, & warm nights. Everyone needs to take this heat seriously, including those who live in the desert."

The NWS also warned that "strong to severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding will be possible in several locations," including America's north-eastern New England region.

Parts of the south-western US have already grappled with intensely hot temperatures over the past week. In El Paso, Texas, temperatures have been in the triple-digits Fahrenheit for 27 consecutive days.