A dangerous heat wave has descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with triple-digit temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires.

The first of 97 runners are starting to hit the finish line after pushing off in desolate Death Valley for an annual ultramarathon billed as the world’s toughest foot race.

Crews worked to dig roads, buildings and care home residents out of the mud across a wide swath of Southwestern U.S. desert Monday, after a tropical storm to hit Southern California.

A historic heat wave that has blasted the U.S. Southwest throughout July is showing signs of abating with late-arriving monsoon rains.

Authorities say a main roadway into Death Valley National Park will remain closed into next week as crews clean up after record-breaking rains damaged the roadway and choked it with mud, rocks and debris.

DEATH VALLEY, Ca. – Death Valley National Park is often referred to as one of the hottest places in the U.S., if not the world. Near record heat! This weekend Death Valley National Park experienced another extreme heat wave, with official... Posted by Death Valley National Park on Monday, July 13, 2020The thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center (pictured above) often runs a degree or two higher than the official reading, says the park. Summer temperatures in Death Valley often hit 120° or higher, according to the National Park Service .