And that heat has turned deadly.
In recent days in Nevada,
two women hiking in the Valley of Fire National
Park were found dead in the park yesterday,
Nevada State police did not confirm if their deaths were due
to the heat but temperatures were 114 degrees in the area.
Officials have confirmed that hiker Steve Curry
of California died last Tuesday due to heat
causes
the 71 year old collapsed after hiking in Death Valley.
According to the National Park Service,
they may have been as many as five heat related deaths of park visitors since June.
That's much higher than average.
In Maricopa County, Arizona,
officials confirmed at least 18 people have died due to heat.
Dozens more
are under investigation.