A blistering heat wave set new record high temperatures across California on Saturday — including 120 degrees in Palm Springs — and authorities urged people to conserve electricity as the extreme conditions continue to tax the state’s power grid.
State energy officials announced a Flex Alert, asking residents to conserve power Saturday evening due to wildfire threats. Temperatures spiked throughout the afternoon, shattering records in inland and valley areas.
Palm Springs and Borrego, which reached 118 degrees, both broke records for July 10. Palmdale Regional Airport hit a new high for the day at 112 degrees and the Lancaster Airport tied its record of 113 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Northern California saw scorching temperatures as well, with Redding reaching 114 degrees and downtown Sacramento hitting 111 degrees. Amid the intense dry heat the Sugar fire, one of two wildfires sparked by lightning in the Plumas National Forest north of Sacramento, had spread to more than 54,000 acres by Saturday and was only 8% contained, officials said.
Read the full story at LATimes.com.