Triple digits in West

Triple digits in West

PHOENIX

Much of the West was smothered in a blanket of heat Saturday with triple-digit temperatures hitting Phoenix, Los Angeles and other cities.

Above-normal temperatures were expected through the weekend as a high-pressure system centered over New Mexico acted as a lid to block cooler air, leaving valleys, deserts and mountains high and very dry.

Authorities warned people not to leave small children or pets in cars, where temperatures can quickly soar.

Phoenix broke a daily record Saturday, reaching 115 degrees, topping a 1992 record by 3 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

Iraq auto-dealership bombing kills 13

BAGHDAD

A car bomb at a popular auto dealership Saturday killed 13 people and injured 52 in eastern Baghdad’s volatile Sadr City neighborhood, where a market bombing two days earlier killed dozens, police said.

The Habibiya car dealership, widely known for buying and selling used vehicles, has been targeted multiple times in the past. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in a communique distributed via affiliated Twitter accounts, saying the vehicle targeted a large gathering of the Iraqi army, federal police and government-backed Popular Mobilization Forces.

A massive explosion in a Sadr City market Thursday killed at least 67 people and wounded more than 100. It was one of the worst single-day attacks in Baghdad in a decade.

FAA: Air-traffic woes have been resolved

WASHINGTON

Air traffic was snarled, and passengers’ tempers were frayed Saturday as many flights to and from airports throughout a large swath of the Northeast stretching from New York down to the Carolinas were delayed or canceled.

The Federal Aviation Administration blamed the problem on “technical issues” at an air-traffic control center in Leesburg, Va. Around 4 p.m., the agency said the problem had been resolved, and that officials were working to lift any remaining orders to hold planes on the ground.

Almanac: Brace for another bad winter

CONCORD, N.H.

Just when you thought you had gotten over last winter, be warned: The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts it will be super-cold with a slew of snow for much of the country, even in places that don’t usually see too much of it, such as the Pacific Northwest.

Look for above-normal snow and below-normal temperatures for much of New England; icy conditions in parts of the South; and frigid weather in the Midwest.

Associated Press