Weekly wrap-up: Wildfires char sweltering western US; Fans faint amid Wimbledon heat
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Heat in the western United States has contributed to several wildfires, including one near Breckenridge, Colorado.
Hundreds were ordered to evacuate the popular resort area. The Peak 2 Fire ignited late on Wednesday morning and quickly spread to more than 70 acres in just hours. The cause is unknown.
Multiple fires are burning through northern Nevada, including a once 25,000-acre blaze that shut down part of Interstate 80 early in the week.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Temperatures averaged 10 to 15 degrees [Fahrenheit] above normal across much of the interior West this past week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said. "The most extreme heat was centered over Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana, but even places closer to the coast such as Los Angeles experienced above-normal conditions for this time of year."
Summertime heat caused disruptions at Wimbledon in London this week after three spectators fainted on Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Temperatures peaked at 32 C (90 F) on Thursday. Play was halted for 20 minutes while medical personnel attended to the fans. Argentinian player Juan Martin Del Potro received a round of cheers after he passed up a water bottle to the stands during his match against Ernests Gulbis.
Tournament players have publicly complained about court conditions, especially after Bethanie Mattek-Sands' serious knee injury on Thursday. In a press conference, Kristina Mladenovic said the slippery courts could be a result of recent dry weather and warmth.
“I guess the climate doesn’t help; the fact that it’s too nice, too hot, too sunny, makes everything very dry. That’s what we got as an answer from the officials," Mladenovic said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In Washington, D.C., Nationals fans sat for three hours during a rain delay that was missing one important thing: rain.
The Nationals were taking on the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. Nationals officials had been monitoring a storm system and kept the tarp on the field.
Heavy rain has led to catastrophic flooding on Japan's Kyushu island. At least two people have been killed and another 20 are missing, according to the BBC.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are in an extremely serious situation," Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said.
Hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. Roads and buildings were destroyed after heavy rain fell on Wednesday. The worst flooding was in the mountainous areas, AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts said.
Two people were killed and more than 100 were injured after an earthquake struck the central Philippines.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A 5.6 magnitude quake damaged local infrastructure as well. The quake reportedly damaged a power plant, cutting off power to much of the eastern region of the central Philippines.
A rare 5.8 magnitude quake in Montana was the state's strongest quake in 60 years, the United States Geological Service said.
The quake rattled the region early Thursday morning and was felt as far as Washington, Idaho and Calgary, Canada. There were no reports of severe damage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Frequent rounds of rainfall and heavy storms in southern China resulted in widespread and deadly flooding early this week.
Areas from Guangxi to Zheijiang provinces have been hit hardest. Frequent rain has wreaked havoc in the area since June, killing more than 50 people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, hailstorms, landslides and urban flooding have impacted 11 million people.