US northwest swelters in record heatwave

An historic heatwave has scorched northwest region of the US and Canada, toppling records and sending residents searching for relief. Stores sold out of portable air conditioners and fans, hospitals cancelled outdoor vaccination clinics, cities opened cooling centres, baseball teams abandoned or moved up weekend games, and utilities braced for possible power outages. Portland, Oregon, reached 42.2 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit ) on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The previous heat record for Oregon’s largest city was 41.7 C (107 F ), a mark hit in 1965 and 1981.