Heat wave: 1,000+ records fall in US in a week

In this Tuesday, June 26, 2012 photo, In this Tuesday, June 26, 2012 photo, a girl waits to cross a downtown Seattle cross walk under the rain. Across the United States, hundreds of heat records have fallen in the past week, but Washington state’s largest city has seen lower than average temperatures to kick off summer.

Manuel Valdes, Associated Press

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In this photo provided by Coby Baalman, ranch hand Terry Moss walks through a parched corn field Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in wheat stubble that hasn’t grown much in the dry heat in Menlo, Kan. Across the country, more than 900 heat records have been broken in the past week. If the forecasts hold, an intense heat wave gripping the center and western portion of the country could mean more will fall.

Courtesy Coby Baalman, Associated Press

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In this photo provided by Charlie Wilson, a herd of Red Angus cattle stay close to a watering hole at the Wilson ranch Wednesday, June 27, 2012, near Lakeside, Neb. Across the country, more than 900 heat records have been broken in the past week. If the forecasts hold, an intense heat wave gripping the center and western portion of the country could mean more will fall.

Courtesy Charlie Wilson, Associated Press

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As temperatures soar with heat indexes in the 100 degree plus range in the New Orleans Metro area, children and adults find the will to chill by taking in the Cool Zoo water park area at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Wednesday, June 27, 2012.

The Times-Picayune, Eliot Kamenitz, Associated Press

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Landscaper Heather Parrott, owner of Neighborhood Gardner, takes a break to drink some water while working on the landscaping at a housing development in Edmond, Okla., Tuesday, June 26, 2012. in Edmond, Okla., Tuesday, June 26, 2012. Parrott said that this year’s heat is not as bad as last years’s, because it came on gradually, allowing her body to acclimate to it.

Sue Ogrocki, Associated Press

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In this photo provided by Charlie Wilson, Jaclyn Wilson-Demel and her father Blaine Wilson take a break from welding and checking irrigation at the Wilson ranch Wednesday, June 27, 2012, near Lakeside, Neb. Across the country, more than 900 heat records have been broken in the past week. If the forecasts hold, an intense heat wave gripping the center and western portion of the country could mean more will fall.

Courtesy Charlie Wilson, Associated Press

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Hundreds of heat-related records recently have fallen across the United States.

In the past week, 1,011 records have been broken around the country, including 251 new daily high temperature records on Tuesday.

The heat is creating consequences ranging from the catastrophic to the comical, from wildfires in the Rocky Mountains to frying bacon on an Oklahoma sidewalk.

If forecasts hold, more records could fall in the coming days in the central and western parts of the country.

University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver says the current heat wave "is bad now by our current definition," but that this will be "far more common in the years ahead."

No matter where you are this week, the objective is the same: stay cool.

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