The Latest: 2nd straight record hot day in Las Vegas

PHOENIX – The Latest on extreme heat in the Southwest (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

For a second day, Las Vegas set a record daytime high temperature on Tuesday, reaching 113 degrees.

National Weather Service meteorologist Barry Pierce says that tops the old mark of 111 degrees for the date set in 1954.

It follows Monday’s 115, which broke the record of 113 set in 2015.

Pierce says overnight low temperatures are also setting records.

The overnight low of 91 degrees on Tuesday beat the record of 87 set in in 2015, and marked the earliest date that the nighttime temperature remained above 90 degrees.

Foster says there might be slight relief Thursday and Friday, when high temperatures are forecast between 105 and 110 degrees.

The hot spell isn’t unusual for late June in Las Vegas. In 2013, Sin City sizzled for three days in a row of record high temperatures.

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2:30 p.m.

Excessive-heat warnings in Southern California have largely retreated to the mountains and deserts, and areas closer to the coast are experiencing significantly cooler weather.

The National Weather Service notes that at 1 p.m. Tuesday the temperature in Malibu Canyon west of Los Angeles was 32 degrees cooler than the same time Monday, when searing triple-digit highs baked the region.

Temperatures farther inland, however, have been similar to or slightly warmer than Monday’s.

The cool-down will extend to all areas Wednesday and Thursday before another warm-up begins Friday.

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1:30 p.m.

Extremely hot and dry conditions in Southern California deserts have forced Joshua Tree National Park to close the popular 49 Palms Oasis hiking area.

The park says water sources are dwindling and desert bighorn sheep will not come down to the oasis to drink if visitors are in the area.

Hikers will be allowed only a half-mile down the trail before reaching the closure point.

The oasis is in a rocky canyon, where towering fan palms shade clear pools of water.