Coastal residents of the northwestern United States, punished by three days of record-breaking heat, have enjoyed relief as temperatures dropped dramatically across the region and cooler breezes blew in from the Pacific Ocean.
But the hot weather did not relent east of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington, where excessive heat warnings remained in place on Tuesday. The National Weather Service forecast more heat in Idaho and Montana for the rest of the week.
A farm labourer died at the weekend in St Paul, Oregon, according to the state's Occupational Health and Safety division. Officials there did not release any further details of that casualty and did not publicly identify the person.
For residents of Seattle and Portland, however, the more moderate weather meant a return to normal after several days of hunkering down in air-conditioned homes or makeshift cooling centres.
The major Pacific northwest cities of Portland and Salem in Oregon, and Seattle in Washington, trapped under a high-pressure dome, shattered temperature records again on Monday.
In Salem, Oregon's state capitol, temperatures reached 47.2C, the hottest since record-keeping began in the 1890s.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport set a record high temperature of 41.1C, breaking the record set a day earlier.
Portland's airport temperature reached 46.1C on Monday, breaking the record high for the third day in a row.
Australian Associated Press
