Scorching Heat Wave Breaks March Records

0:00Today is March 21st. Here's what's making headlines worldwide. A brutal heat wave is gripping the United States this March, smashing temperature records by huge margins in several states. Places like California and Arizona have already topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit, way above the usual March highs that sit around 70 degrees, or lower. About a quarter of all March records at 400 weather stations nationwide could fall this month. The scorching conditions stretch beyond just the southwest. Initial readings from cities across the country show the trend clearly, with clusters of extreme heat focused in the west. Southern California saw Palm Springs hit 107 degrees on Thursday, beating the old March mark from 1966. Even areas not built for this kind of warmth are feeling the burn. Parts of Oklahoma, Nebraska, Northern Texas, and South Dakota are running 20 degrees or more, above normal, turning 90 degrees days into real. Challenges for folks there.

1:01Climate experts point to human cause warming from fossil fuels as making these events far more likely. Looking ahead, relief isn't coming soon. National Weather Service forecasts predict record challenging heat sticking around in the southwest, with Arizona leading the pack. The outlook gets hotter still, as April through June shapes of warmer than average, almost everywhere, except the northeast and Great Lakes region. Southwestern states like Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico face their most intense spring on record.