The hottest temperatures to hit the U.S. West this year were building across California and the Southwest Tuesday into Wednesday — and they're expected to bring record temperatures to much of the region before expanding eastwards this week.
The big picture: Excessive heat warnings and watches extended from the central valley down through southern California's deserts, southern Nevada and southern and western Arizona, affecting over 27 million people on Wednesday morning. New temperature records have already been set in Texas, per preliminary National Weather Service data.
