Record-breaking heat hits US Pacific Northwest

Washington, June 28 (IANS) Temperatures are expected to increase across the US Pacific Northwest through Tuesday following a weekend of record-breaking heat in the region, according to the weather service.Portland, the largest city in Oregon, and Seattle in Washington were both forecast to break all-time record highs, reports Xinhua news agency.On Sunday afternoon, the airport in Portland recorded a temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius, the hottest ever logged there since record-keeping began in 1940, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures were expected to rise a bit more later.Seattle saw its hottest June day in recorded history on Saturday as the temperature hit 38.3 degrees. It was only the fourth time on the books that Seattle had ever topped 38 degrees, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.Many parts of Washington and Oregon states are forecast to reach highs up to more than 30 degrees above seasonal averages, according to meteorologists.–IANSksk/