Pictures: A major heat wave in the West

We may be in store for a dreary, wet weekend in New England, but that’s hardly the case in the Western United States, where a massive heat wave is underway. Here, two boys played along the surf on a hot day at Natural Bridges state beach in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Elvis impersonator Cristian Morales wiped sweat from his brow while standing out on The Strip posing for photos with tourists in Las Vegas. Morales preferred to stand out in the 112 degree heat of the day instead of working the cooler evening hours saying “We’d much rather fight with the sun than fight with the drunk people.”

Tourists hugged close to misters keeping cool as they walked along The Strip in Las Vegas.

Tourists watched the Bellagio fountain show in Las Vegas.

Betty Lu Guapo, 4, cooled off at the Los Angeles Fountain. California prepared for a scorching weekend that could see temperatures hit 120 in the deserts.

Matthew Dayton, 6 months, was dropped into the pool by his mother Stephanie Dayton into the arms of lifeguard/swim instructor Nicolette Conrad during a “Mommy and Me” swim class at the Brea Plunge in Brea, Calif.

Five-year-old Ashawn Rabb ran through a fountain of water at the Red Ridge Park kids water park in Las Vegas. Children with their parents stayed past sundown to cool off in the park’s fountains after temperatures in Las Vegas hit 112 degrees.

A Salt Lake City fireman poured a cold bottle of water over the head of fireman Cary Turner after battling a house fire. Temperatures in Utah are approaching record highs and a heat advisory will be in effect for central and western parts of southern Utah through the weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the western two-thirds of the state.

Beach goers enjoyed the surf at Natural Bridges state beach in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Jett Jameson collected rocks while cooling down in the Carmel River at Dampierre Park in Carmel Valley, Calif.

Beachgoers were shrouded in a marine layer over Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif.

Runners took advantage of lower temperatures at sunrise in Mesa, Ariz. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday.

Mercedes Lopez, 2, laid in the shade amid high temperatures at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.

Gabby Iglesias played with her daughter McKayla, 4 months old, at the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain in Grand Park in Los Angeles.

A surfer prepared to enter the water on a hot day at Natural Bridges state beach in Santa Cruz, Calif.

A construction worker atop a roof at sunrise to beat daytime high temperatures in Queen Creek, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 by Friday.