Dangerous heat wave grips U.S. with record temperatures
Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic are under heat alerts Monday as a dangerous heat wave that began over the weekend continues to move through the region.
The rare June heat wave broke about 20 records on Sunday and is expected to break more on Monday. According to The Weather Channel, the city of Mitchell, South Dakota, broke its daily high on Saturday when temperatures climbed to 104 degrees, smashing its previous record of 101 degrees.
Records were also set on Saturday across Wyoming and Minnesota, according to The Weather Channel.
Across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and up to Maine, 148 million people were under heat alerts on Monday. Extreme heat warnings have been issued for 75 million people in nearly a dozen major cities, including Chicago, Boston, New York City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
Chicago up to Boston could be experiencing heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees.
“Hot temperatures, oppressive humidity and very light winds are expected today, leading to dangerous levels of heat,” the National Weather Service in Boston said in a post on X. Tuesday will be “the hottest day of the stretch,” the agency said.
“Air temperatures in many areas could pass the century mark, and it may feel like the low 110s in some areas,” the agency said. “This is a dangerous level of heat, with no significant relief at night!”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged residents to take precautions.
“Our first heat wave of the summer is here, and it’s so important that New Yorkers across the five boroughs take care of themselves over the next few days,” he said in a post on X. “That’s right. SEVERAL DAYS of EXTREME heat.”
Relief from the sweltering temperatures will come on Wednesday in the Midwest and Thursday in the Northeast when the heat dome starts to weaken.
In other parts of the country, severe storms will be impacting regions from northern Kansas to Michigan on Monday, bringing damaging winds, large hail and possible tornadoes. From west Texas to southern Wisconsin, the storms will bring a risk of flash floods.