Triple-digit heat kills woman during Grand Canyon hike

A woman hiking at the Grand Canyon National Park died on Monday as she became victim to the scorching triple-digit heatwave that the US is currently experiencing, which experts have claimed is the result of climate change.

Authorities announced on Monday that a 57-year-old woman passed away while hiking eight miles in Grand Canyon National Park in temperatures of triple digits. The victim's name and hometown were not immediately disclosed.

According to park officials, a ranger was alerted at 6:30 pm on Sunday about a troubled day hiker in the isolated Tuweep region of the park. The woman reportedly passed out before being pronounced dead due to heat stroke, according to the authorities.

The highest temperature recorded at Tuweep on Sunday, according to park officials, was well over 100 degrees.

For the Grand Canyon's inner canyon, officials have issued an excessive heat warning that will last until Wednesday. The trail's exposed areas can get hotter than 120 degrees in the summer, even in the shade.

In collaboration with the medical examiner for Mohave County, the National Park Service is looking into the death.

"Park rangers at Grand Canyon National Park urge visitors to Grand Canyon, especially inner canyon hikers and backpackers, to be prepared for excessively hot days in the coming weeks," officials said.

The weather service reported that on Monday, heat advisories were issued for parts of the Southwest, including California, southern Nevada, and Arizona.

CBS reported that the Environmental Protection Agency and others warn that hiking in the heat can be fatal, and that weather-related deaths in the US are most frequently caused by heat-related conditions. 

Additionally, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 702 people die on average from heat-related illnesses each year.

Last month, a stepfather and a 14-year-old boy perished while hiking in Texas' Big Bend National Park on a day when the temperature reached 119 degrees. The boy fell ill, and his stepfather died after he crashed his car trying to get him help, park officials said