Pacific Northwest's scorching weekend

Portland, Ore., set the all-time highest temperature record of 112 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday. In Eugene, Ore., officials halted the U.S. track and field Olympic trials and asked fans to evacuate the stadium as the temperature hit 110 F. Seattle recorded 103 F Sunday, tying an all-time record and marking the first time the area recorded two consecutive triple-digit days since records began in 1894.

Were authorities prepared? Officials in Seattle and Portland, Ore., opened cooling centers heading into the weekend, including libraries and other public facilities, though some are still under COVID-19 capacity restrictions. In 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau’s housing survey found that only one-third of Seattle homes had air conditioning. Wildfire crews preemptively deployed to high-risk areas in Oregon, and the heat could exacerbate already active blazes in the central and southern parts of the state. The Red Cross encouraged residents to prepare an evacuation plan and an emergency kit.

Dig deeper: Read Julie Borg’s report in Beginnings about the devastating wildfires that swept through California and Oregon last year.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.