“Dangerous heat will continue to affect much of the United States this week, with now more than 100 million people under excessive heat warnings or heat warnings,” the Weather Forecast Center said.
It means a third of the U.S. population is under heat warnings and excessive heat warnings today and tomorrow, and more than 80 percent of the U.S. population (about 265 million Americans) will experience a maximum temperature above 90 degrees over the next seven days.
The highest temperatures, reaching up to three digits, will again be centered in the Southern Plains.
More than two dozen historic highs are possible today and tomorrow for the southern United States, including Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, and the east coast is also about to enter the mix.
Parts of the Northeast will also have temperatures close to daily records on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Heat warnings are also in effect Wednesday for parts of the Northeast, including the Philadelphia I-95 corridor in Boston, where heat index values are expected to reach 100 degrees,” the Center said. of Weather Forecast.
The Southern Plains receive another dose of intense heat
After a record-breaking heat day yesterday, the Southern Plains are once again suffering from dangerous heat.
Dallas advanced yesterday to its 110-degree daily record, but topped 109, becoming the hottest day of the year to date.
But today it will be worse.
Temperatures are expected to reach 111 degrees in the area, breaking the daily record of 108.
The oppressive heat has strained Texas ’power grid as the state expects another record day of energy demand.
Excessive heat warnings and heat warnings are in effect until Wednesday for North and Central Texas.
“Air temperatures will rise from 105 to 110 degrees in the warning area, with heat index values above 105 degrees in the advisory area,” the Fort Worth National Meteorological Service said. .
As warm temperatures, low humidity, and wind speed increase, there is also a critical threat of fire hazard in North Texas and central Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City could see highs close to 110 degrees today, breaking its 109 daily record set in 1936.
“The last time we had a substantial heat period was in 2011, when we had 63 days above or equal to 100 degrees,” said Vivek Mahale, a meteorologist with the Norman National Meteorological Service.
Mahale expects the above-average heat to continue at least Sunday, with each day reaching the three-digit mark. Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport has seen nine days above 100 degrees this month.
He advised that the best thing you can do to prepare yourself is to check vulnerable populations, as temperatures will be five to seven degrees above normal.
“We really want to stress that you want to check on your friends, family and neighbors during the heat wave, especially susceptible populations like the elderly,” Mahale said.
Further north, the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration encouraged employers to be aware of heat hazards and help prevent heat illness.
“Whether you work indoors or outdoors, hot and humid conditions can pose serious risks to workers’ health, but heat-related illnesses can be prevented,” said the director of the ‘Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Bart Pickelman, in a press release.
Employers, he said, should have detailed procedures in place to monitor the heat index, supply water and care for a sick employee, he said.
New York, Boston and Philadelphia are gearing up for a suffocating week
Heat warnings will be in effect tomorrow in the Northeast, including New York City, Boston and Philadelphia.
“The oppressive heat and humidity are back this week,” the Boston National Weather Service tweeted.
Heat index values, the temperature that is felt when heat is combined with humidity, could exceed 100 degrees in some areas, creating dangerous conditions for residents of the Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Heat and humidity will not only embrace the coast. New York State could also see temperatures well above average.
Albany, New York, is soaring above its 84-degree average for this time of year, and the city could approach its 97-degree record tomorrow with stifling heat.
To make matters worse, the humidity combined with the heat will make some areas feel 5 to 10 degrees warmer.
“This will be a little (warmer) than the typical warm, humid weather we have in July,” Mike Evans, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Albany, New York, told CNN.
Evans said dew points could rise to 70 degrees tomorrow, which is when the humidity becomes “very noticeable.”
Parts of Massachusetts will reach record levels as early as Wednesday, as temperatures reach the top 90, and will continue for the rest of the week in the northeast.
“This is going to be the hottest day we’ve had so far, this summer. We haven’t really had a too hot summer here, at least in the Northeast,” Evans said.
The U.S. is unlikely to see much relief over the next week. The Center’s Climate Forecast forecasts of above-average temperatures are likely to last well into next week for most of the 48 lowest.