Ammon News - An extreme heatwave peaked in the western United States on Sunday, with temperatures reaching 128 Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) in the California desert, while flash flooding continued to menace the Northeast, killing at least five people.

Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population fell under extreme heat advisories, partly due to a stubborn heat dome that has been parked over western states. While baking parts of the country, the heat dome has also helped generate heavy rains in the Northeast, a pattern expected to continue for days if not weeks, according to the National Weather Service.

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia, downpours and flash flooding over the weekend killed at least five people.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged residents in her state to avoid travel until the rain passes, saying that "your car can go from a place of safety to a place of death" if swept up in a flash flood.

The rains were expected to ease on Monday but nonetheless created havoc throughout much of the Northeast in recent days, with Vermont in particular reporting catastrophic flooding in its capital Montpelier.

The heat warnings spread from the Pacific Northwest, down through California, through the Southwest and into the Deep South and Florida.

The National Weather Service said widespread record-breaking high temperatures are likely to be recorded across the Southwest, in the western Gulf Coast and also in south Florida.

Temperatures between 100 F and 110 F are forecast for portions of the Pacific Northwest. That could be particularly dangerous for an area unaccustomed to excessive heat, as many homes do not have central air conditioning. Meanwhile southern Europe is enduring a punishing heatwave.

Scientists say fossil fuel-driven climate change is heralding more extreme weather like that seen in the U.S. in recent days, warning that the world needs to drastically cut carbon emissions to prevent its catastrophic effects.

Reuters