Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas is enduring a historic heat wave, with the city reaching 115 degrees or higher for a record sixth consecutive day on Thursday. The prolonged stretch of extreme temperatures is finally showing signs of easing, but not before shattering numerous records.

Reid International Airport’s official thermometer reached 115 at 12:51 p.m. on Thursday, marking the sixth straight day with a reading of 115 or higher. The Thursday morning low was 93 degrees, just a degree cooler than the 94-degree low the previous day. Temperatures reached 100 by 7:35 a.m. and the National Weather Service had predicted a high of 118 degrees.

“The extra cloud cover today will play a role,” said meteorologist Morgan Stessman. At 11 a.m., the airport reading was 110 and fluctuating around that number. But just after 2 p.m., the airport showed a new high of 117, surpassing the previous record for July 11 of 116 set in 1959.

This marks the sixth straight day of new daily high temperatures in Las Vegas. Before the current heat spell, the record for consecutive days with highs of 115 or more was four, set nearly 20 years ago in July 2005.

Thursday also marked the ninth straight day of highs reaching 110 or higher in the city. Since July 3, daily high temperatures have reached 113 degrees or hotter. A streak of 10 days has only happened twice in recorded Las Vegas weather history, in June 1962 and last July.

Cooling stations across the region will remain open through 11 p.m. on Friday, as the National Weather Service’s excessive heat warning is set to expire at that time. While the extreme heat appears to be subsiding, Las Vegas residents are no doubt eager for some relief from this historic heat wave.

Source: Review Journal