Newser reported this week that Los Angeles broke a 131-year temperature record on Saturday with a temperature of 96 F in downtown LA, surpassing the old record of 95 F set back in 1886. The high temperatures have caused problems for children, the elderly and other vulnerable populations and increased the incidence of heat-related illnesses and forest fires. The heat has been especially hard on the dairy industry, which has had to deal with livestock deaths, and the hot, dry winds have also exacerbated wildfires in the region, according to the report.  You can read the article along with a link to the AP story and several photos here.

Source: Yinan Chen, Commons Wikimedia