Record-breaking heatwave grips western US at tail end of winter

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseMarch 20, 2026 at 04:28 AM

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A record-breaking heatwave impacted the western United States in late winter. Several locations in California and Arizona experienced unprecedented temperatures. A desert community near Martinez Lake, Arizona, reached 43.3 degrees Celsius (110 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, setting a new national record for the highest March temperature. This surpassed the previous record of 42.2 degrees Celsius set in Texas in 1954 and tied earlier in the week in California. Extreme heat advisories were issued for parts of southern California and Arizona. Las Vegas also broke its previous record, reaching 35 degrees Celsius. The National Weather Service attributed the high temperatures to a significant warming trend.

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Key Player Opposition Context

San Diego 50% Texas 50% North Shore 50% Cathedral City 50% Palm Springs 50% Thermal 50% Rio Grande City 50% Martinez Lake 60% Yuma Desert 60% Arizona ×280% California ×280% United States ×290%

Keywords

heatwave 100% record temperatures 90% western us 80% winter 70% extreme heat advisory 60% california 50% arizona 50% national weather service 40%

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Negative

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South China Morning Post

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Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

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90%

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United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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