Deadly heat wave cripples parts of the U.S. and is forecast to shatter even more records in the West

A blistering, prolonged heat wave is forecast to shatter even more triple-digit records this week, after a sweltering weekend that saw Las Vegas hit a new record of 120 degrees and led to the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley.

On Monday, 122 million people were under heat alerts across the West, Southeast and Northeast. Las Vegas and Reno in Nevada; Portland, Oregon; and Redding, California, are some cities that could set record highs today as temperatures soar up to 25 degrees above average.

It was already a record-breaking weekend for the West: Redding hit a record high of 119 degrees Saturday, Las Vegas 120 degrees on Sunday, and Palm Springs, California, peaked at 124 degrees on Friday, breaking a previous record high of 123 degrees from 2021. 

A motorcyclist died of suspected heat exposure and another was hospitalized for severe heat illness on Saturday at Death Valley National Park, where a high of 129 degrees was recorded Sunday.

Triple digit temperatures will persist at least for the next couple of days in the region as a high pressure continues to sit over the desert Southwest, NBC News meteorologist Angie Lassman said.

Phoenix could hit 116 degrees today, Redding 114 degrees and Las Vegas 118 degrees on Thursday.

Across the South and East, high heat combined with high humidity will lead to index values of 95 to 105 and higher. 

The heat will break for the Pacific Northwest by midweek, but will continue across the Southwest. The heat and humidity will also persist across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the week.