California declares state of emergency: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: ABC7

1. Parts of the US southwest reported very high temperatures. Arizona, California, southwest of Nevada, and Utah are placed with excessive heat warnings.

2. California has declared a state of emergency to reduce strain on the energy infrastructure and increase energy capacity.

3. People are being advised to stay in an air-conditioned area and out of the sun as temperatures are expected to remain between 100-110 F until Sunday.

4. The California independent system operator has advised people to avoid using major appliances and unnecessary lights.

5. In California, death valley marked 130 F (54C) on Thursday.

6. High temperatures were felt in San Francisco Bay area where several cities have set up cooling systems.

7. A high-pressure system parked on the southwest since Tuesday caused a heatwave. About 50 million people are under an excessive heat warning.