June 12 (UPI) -- Temperatures have been on the rise for much of the southwestern United States this week, leaving residents to swelter while daily record highs are placed in jeopardy, particularly in California's Death Valley, where temperatures climbed above 120 degrees Fahrenheit in back-to-back days on Friday and Saturday.
AccuWeather forecasters say the sizzling heat will continue for much of the weekend, but much-needed relief is on the horizon.
A northward bulge in the jet stream unfolded over the Southwestern states this week, allowing air more typical of the middle of summer to spread over the region. This push of unseasonably hot air sent thermometers across the Southwest to impressive levels as some cities recorded the highest temperatures of the year so far.
On Wednesday, Phoenix recorded its first 110-F reading of the year as the Valley of the Sun baked in the midst of July-like heat. The city typically first hits this milestone around June 13.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service in Phoenix reported a temperature of 114 degrees, tying the record high for the date set in 1918.