Topline
More than 100 million Americans are under heat warnings and advisories in 28 states, from California to New Hampshire.
New York is one of dozens of U.S. cities sweltering in the latest summer heat wave. (AP Photo/Kathy … [+]
Key Facts
Heat indexes (what the air feels like when taking into account humidity in addition to the air temperature) are expected to linger in the 100s to 110s from Oklahoma to Mississippi, with temperatures in the 90s and 100s, through the end of the week, and cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will face temperatures in the mid-90s to high-90s and heat indexes in the 100s, reaching 104 in Newark, N.J., and Philadelphia on Thursday.
Little Rock faced some of the worst heat Wednesday, hitting 101 degrees and a heat index of 115, followed by Memphis (112); Shreveport, La. (112); Austin, Texas (111); and Dallas (110).
The National Weather Service advises people to take immediate precautions to avoid serious illness or death during an excessive heat warning, which it defines as two-plus days with a heat index at least 105 degrees.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul encouraged people to “visit cooling centers, stay indoors and check on vulnerable neighbors,” including older adults and young children, as the heat wave fries the Northeast.
On Tuesday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson pleaded for a federal disaster declaration from the Department of Agriculture, as sweltering heat and drought conditions pose a widespread damage for cropland.
Key Background
Climate scientists warn global warming is making heat waves more common and more intense. By 2030, scientists believe nearly every country will experience “extreme” heat every other year, according to a study published in January in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Nearly 50 million Americans were under heat alerts just over a week ago, as a heat wave brought temperatures into the 100s from Tennessee to California, setting records across the South. On July 11, Phoenix set a single-day record, when the temperature reached 115 degrees, one degree hotter than another single-day record it set last month in the midst of a mid-June heat wave that set records across the southwest and brought more than 75 million people under heat advisories or warnings.
Tangent
The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day ever Tuesday (104 degrees), as a heat wave swept through Europe that killed 1,000 in Portugal and 500 in Spain, and accelerated wildfires in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
What To Watch For
The heat wave is expected to move north this weekend, bringing 100-degree highs into Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Virginia, before a cold front moves in from Canada, bringing much-needed relief to parts of the Central Plains and Midwest.
Further Reading
Record Highs Set In Over Two Dozen U.S. Cities In June Heat Wave – So Far (Forbes)
There’s A Heat Wave, And It Increases Risk For Traffic Crashes (Forbes)
Yes, Another Heat Wave: Almost 50 Million Under Heat Alerts Across U.S. (Forbes)
U.K. Records Its Hottest Temperature Ever Amid Extreme Heatwave (Forbes)
