US heatwave breaks records across the Pacific Northwest

Mellena O’Brien, four, plays in the Yesler TerraceSpray Park during a heat wave hitting the Pacific Northwest (John Froschauer/AP)

A historic heatwave across the US Pacific Northwest has disrupted Olympic qualifying events and broken all-time temperature records in places unaccustomed to such extreme heat.

Portland, Oregon, reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) on Sunday, breaking the all-time temperature record of 108 F (42.2C), which was set just a day earlier.