California applies rolling blackouts as western U.S. cooks under heat wave

It's the first time since 2001 that California had rolling blackouts imposed across the state.

A prolonged bout of extreme heat that is currently engulfing the western U.S prompted California to briefly enforce rolling blackouts as a precautionary measure.

State electricity providers began the rotating blackouts Friday night, the first time since 2001, after the California Independent System Operator (California ISO), which manages the power grid, declared a Stage 3 emergency.

Hundreds of thousands of customers were reported to have experienced temporary power outages through the evening as a result of the move to reduce stress on the larger grid. However, the emergency order was lifted before midnight and power was fully restored to all affected households, California ISO said in a tweet.

West heat

Electricity demand surged Friday as temperatures also soared, exceeding 36°C in many areas, prompting an increase in air conditioning use, as well.

MORE ROLLING BLACKOUTS MAY OCCUR DURING HEAT WAVE

The high demand for electricity is expected to remain through the weekend and into next week, as the heat wave continues. California ISO will decide next week whether to continue the rolling outages on a day-to-day basis, according to a company spokesperson.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said the heat wave could be California's worst in more than a decade, if not longer.

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The heat wave covering much of California and other parts of the western U.S. is expected to linger until at least Thursday, with numerous places expected to hit record high maximum and minimum temperatures, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

WILDFIRES WORSENED

Because of the extreme heat, wildfires have destroyed more than 36,000 hectares across three states and are still spreading quickly. Evacuation orders are in place for Los Angeles County, Calif., Wasco County, Ore., as well as Garfield and Larimer counties in Colorado.

In Los Angeles County, there are two active fires -- the Lake Fire and Ranch2 Fire. The Ranch2 Fire has prompted the evacuation of more than 300 homes. The Lake Fire has destroyed at least three structures and is threatening an additional 5,000.

EXTREME HEAT FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS

It's not just the western states that are facing extreme heat this weekend. More than 80 million people are under heat warnings, with record temperatures possible across 10 states.

Warnings are in effect for California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Texas, with advisories are in effect for surrounding states such as Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Excessive heat alerts are in place for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Some cities such as El Paso and Abilene, Texas, may only endure record-breaking heat on one day this weekend, Las Vegas and Yuma, Ariz., could break temperature records for the next 3 days.

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Sources: NPR| Associated Press | CNN

NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS BLACKOUTS COULD BE A THING OF THE PAST