(NEWSnet/AP) — Las Vegas residents are monitoring the temperature as the city is expected to set a record on Wednesday for the most consecutive days over 115 degrees Fahrenheit due to a persistent heatwave affecting much of the U.S.

On Tuesday, Las Vegas flirted again with the all-time temperature record of 120 F reached on Sunday, but settled for a new daily mark of 119 F that smashed the old one of 116 F set for the date in 2021.

Forecasters say the city will likely hit a record fifth straight day above 115 F on Wednesday.

“This is the most extreme heat wave in the history of record-keeping in Las Vegas since 1937,” said meteorologist John Adair, a veteran of three decades at the National Weather Service office in southern Nevada.

Tuesday’s high temperature tied the mark of four straight days above 115 F set in July 2005.

More than 161 million people around the U.S. were under heat alerts Tuesday, especially in Western states.

Dozens of locations across the West tied or broke previous heat records over the weekend and are expected to keep doing so all week.

The U.S. heat wave came as the global temperature in June was a record warm for the 13th straight month and marked the 12th straight month that the world was  2.7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than pre-industrial times, the European climate service Copernicus said.

The National Weather Service said it was extending the excessive heat warnings across most of the Southwest U.S. through Saturday morning.

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