WASHINGTON D.C.: A heat wave is expected to strike the American west in the coming weeks, which will offer not only brutal temperatures, but continue for a prolonged duration.

The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat watches and warnings for parts of central and Southern California, southern Nevada, western and southern Arizona and Utah.

Temperatures normally experienced in July and August will be expected beginning this week.

“The heat will only become more intense through the week,” AccuWeather meteorologist Mary Gilbert said, as quoted by United Press International.

Forecasts call for high temperatures to reach 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.

“No easy way to say this, so we’ll just cut straight to the chase: it’s going to be very hot for a long time next week,” the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City said on Twitter.

High temperatures in Salt Lake City, Utah are expected near or above 100 degrees from Sunday through Wednesday.

On Tuesday, forecasts predict that the temperature could break Salt Lake City’s previous record high for June of 105 degrees.

In Phoenix, the National Weather Service called the upcoming heat wave “rare, dangerous and deadly.”

From Monday through at least Thursday, the Phoenix-area could challenge or break the high-temperature record each day with highs in the 110s. Also, the city could break its record for consecutive 115-degree days of four. This record was reached in 1968, 1979, 1990, 1995 and twice in 2020.

Las Vegas is also expected to set new record temperatures for June. Tuesday through Thursday is forecast to approach or reach 115 degrees and challenge record-high temperatures that date back to 1940.

“It is unusual for Las Vegas to reach above 115 degrees, even in the hottest part of summer. The official reporting station for the city has documented temperatures above 115 degrees in only 21 of the last 73 years,” Gilbert said.

“Make sure your outdoor recreation plans are heat safe! With climbing temps, you may be putting yourself at risk if you aren’t prepared. Adjust times to cooler parts of the day & pack lots of extra water!” the National Weather Service in Las Vegas advised on Twitter.

Death Valley, California, known throughout the world for its triple-digit temperatures, will be hot, even by its own standards. On Wednesday, the high temperature could come within 10 degrees of the all-time high of 134 degrees, set in 1913, according to the National Park Service. The average high for the middle of June in Death Valley is around 110 degrees.