The National Weather Service has warned of severely high temperatures affecting parts of the Midwest and Northeast regions of the country throughout this week, in the region’s first heat wave of the year.
A dangerous heat wave could bring maximum temperatures above 90 degrees in major cities across the ... [+]
According to the NWS Weather Prediction Center, the heat wave began on Sunday in the Midwest, and will spread to the Northeast in the next few days and it is expected to last at least until Saturday.
The agency warned that maximum daytime temperatures could touch 105 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, while nighttime temperatures remain in the balmy mid-70s in major cities.
NWS forecasts show the maximum heat index—a metric that combines temperature with humidity to show how hot it feels—in cities like Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia being above 90 degrees for most of next week.
Cities like Detroit and Pittsburgh could see some of the region’s highest temperatures, with forecasts showing a maximum heat index of more than 100 degrees for several days next week.
Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston and several other cities in the region may face “Extreme HeatRisk”—the highest level of the NWS’ five-stage color coded index forecasting the risk of heat-related impacts.
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The extreme temperatures raise the risk of rapid onset or flash drought across parts of the “eastern Corn Belt and Mid-Atlantic,” according to the forecast said.
“The longevity of dangerous heat forecasted for some locations has not been experienced in decades,” the Weather Prediction Center warned.
Accuweather forecasts suggest two scenarios for next week’s heatwave. The first one could see 110 million people affected in the two regions with daily high temperatures hovering between 90 and 100 degrees. A more extreme scenario involving a stronger high-pressure system could mean more than 135 million could be affected by the heat wave with temperatures in many areas reaching 100 degrees.
Summer 2024 is on track to be one of the country’s hottest ever on record, according to the Weather Channel. The weather outlet’s report notes that the heat will continue to rise in July while most of the country will see higher-than-normal temperatures in September.
Dangerous heat wave looms for over 135 million next week from Chicago to Philadelphia (Accuweather)
Midwest, Northeast to be broiled by first life-threatening heat wave of summer (Fox Weather)