logo
Extreme heat is back — here's where it will be the worst

Extreme heat is back — here's where it will be the worst

Yahoo2 days ago
The United States has entered the peak of summer and a new heat dome — sealing in all that hot, humid air — is about to make millions of people feel every bit of it.
Some cities could notch their highest temperatures of the year as heat builds from the South to the Midwest this week while humidity drives the heat index, or how hot it will actually feel, well into the triple digits.
Sizzling conditions began to set up from the Gulf Coast to the Plains on Tuesday, with more than 60 million people under heat alerts from Florida to South Dakota. Cities across these regions, including Memphis, Atlanta and St. Louis, saw temperatures climb into the 90s Tuesday afternoon.
Heat remains the deadliest form of extreme weather in the US. Globally, heat waves are becoming more frequent, more severe and lasting longer as the world warms due to fossil fuel-driven climate change.
The heat will ramp up in intensity and expand to the Midwest on Wednesday. Brutal temperatures will stretch from the South through the Midwest on Thursday and also start to push into the East.
Wednesday and Thursday could be the new hottest days of the year in cities like Chicago, St. Louis and Memphis: Chicago and St. Louis are expected to soar into the upper 90s both days while Memphis could flirt with the triple digit mark.
Unlike the intense heat wave earlier this summer, this bout of stifling heat isn't likely to topple hundreds of records. But records don't need to fall for heat to be incredibly dangerous: A Level 3 of 4 heat risk stretches from the Gulf Coast to Michigan's Upper Peninsula on Wednesday, and pockets along the Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast are under a Level 4 of 4 'extreme' risk that will linger through Thursday.
Heat this severe impacts anyone without access to effective cooling or proper hydration, not just vulnerable populations, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And for those without air conditioning, staying indoors can become deadly during the hottest parts of the day, the agency warns. For those under the highest risk level, the heat dangers are heightened because there will be little to no overnight relief.
The heat index — also known as the apparent temperature — will soar to dangerous levels for tens of millions this week.
Heat indices soared into the triple digits across the South and parts of the Central Plains on Tuesday. Temperatures felt as high as 110 degrees along coastal Georgia and South Carolina in the afternoon.
By Wednesday, some parts of the Mississippi Valley, including Memphis, could have a heat index of between 110 and 115 degrees.
Humid conditions will also prevent temperatures from cooling significantly overnight. It could still be close to 80 degrees in St. Louis by sunrise Thursday — nearly 10 degrees higher than a typical low for July. Chicago is expected to see low temperatures in the upper 70s Thursday morning, a departure from the typical lows in the 60s for this time of year.
When overnight temperatures don't cool down enough to offer relief for overheated bodies, people are at greater risk for heat-related illnesses. Nighttime temperatures are taking the hardest hit from climate change, warming faster than daytime highs.
The heat will ramp up considerably Thursday in parts of the Ohio Valley and start to reach into the Northeast. Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati could come within a degree of or match their hottest day of the year so far, with expected highs in the 90s. These highs are about 10 degrees hotter than what's typical even in this hottest month of the year.
The most intense heat for the East Coast will arrive by Friday, with high temperatures in the middle to upper 90s and a heat index of 100 degrees or more possible for Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. High temperatures in this range are also up to 10 degrees hotter than typical for these cities.
Climate change is making this week's heat wave at least three times more likely for nearly 160 million people, almost half the US population, when compared with a world without fossil fuel emissions, according to an analysis from the climate research nonprofit Climate Central.
The heat dome will ease by Saturday for many, replaced by more typical, though still very toasty, late July temperatures.
Here's how hot this summer has been so far
For many in the contiguous US, it's been sweltering since meteorological summer — June through August — began. The bulk of the heat has been focused on the East, where dozens of locations are so far on track for their hottest summer to date.
Many more locales are currently experiencing at least one of their 10-hottest summers to date. The Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and Midwest have all been literal hotspots.
Rather than searing daytime temperatures driving the above-average heat in these locations, it's been many, many instances of too-warm overnight lows making the biggest impact, according to a CNN analysis of data from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.
The Plains have so far dodged this really hot summer. Much of the West has too, with a few exceptions: Seattle is having its fifth-warmest summer to date while Portland is hovering around seventh-highest.
Tiny pockets of cooler-than-normal summers are few and far between in the US, but the San Francisco Bay Area in California is one of them. Parts of the Bay Area — including Oakland and Fremont — are experiencing one of their coolest summers to date.
August will likely be another hot month for much of the country, according to the Climate Prediction Center's latest forecast. Cities that are already baking could continue their hot streak while other places that have escaped the worst could still warm up a bit in the latter part of summer.
CNN's Luke Snyder contributed to this report.
Solve the daily Crossword
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Maps show U.S. heat advisories, high temperatures as heat dome moves east
Maps show U.S. heat advisories, high temperatures as heat dome moves east

CBS News

time8 hours ago

  • CBS News

Maps show U.S. heat advisories, high temperatures as heat dome moves east

The extreme heat that has baked much of the central United States this week is slowly shifting east ahead of the weekend, forecasters said. More than 130 million Americans across at least 20 states are under heat alerts on Thursday. Parts of the Midwest, including the Corn Belt, have felt the high temperatures for multiple days. Temperatures on Thursday are forecast to be 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year with feels-like temperatures over 100 degrees expected in multiple areas. Some parts of the Mississippi Valley will continue to see high temperatures over 90 degrees for a few more days, even as the heat dome moves over parts of the Northeast. A heat dome happens when hot air is trapped over an area due to a persistent high pressure system, William Gallus, a professor of atmospheric science at Iowa State University, said. Heat domes can last for days to weeks and can stretch over multiple states. With extreme heat in the Corn Belt, a region including parts of the Plains and Central Mississippi Valley, a phenomenon known as corn sweat has made the humidity worse, experts said. "There are pores on the bottom side of the leaves," Iowa state climatologist Justin Glisan told CBS News national correspondent Lana Zak. "And that's where oxygen is released, but also water vapor." The process can add up to 10 degrees to the feels-like temperature, Glisan said, because just 1 acre of corn can release as much as 4,000 gallons of water into the air per day. Iowa has around 13 million acres of corn.

Chicagoans attempting to stay cool during second day of dangerous heat
Chicagoans attempting to stay cool during second day of dangerous heat

CBS News

time8 hours ago

  • CBS News

Chicagoans attempting to stay cool during second day of dangerous heat

It's not easy to cool off during dangerous temperatures, but people around the city are coping with the extreme heat. One place heating up is the farmers market, and this season, the heat has been really hard on those who grow crops and stand outside for hours to sell at Daley Plaza. Miguel Sanchez at Parras Farms, a conventional farm, said they've had irrigation issues and have had to adapt to keep their crops alive due to the heat. He's hoping folks still come out despite the heat because these summer farmers market days are so important to his business "It's extremely warm today. I truly hope people come out, I know it's really warm, and people would just want to be in the air conditioning," he said. "I've been buying plenty of water, it's been kinda hard." On the Northwest Side, power was restored after an overnight outage in Belmont Cragin. Neighbors there said they slept through it. Others say it got hot fast without air conditioning in their homes, forcing some residents outside to get a break. Others went to their vehicles for air conditioning. Comed crews restored power around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. The electric company cited bad transformers in the area. They also said that on the hottest and most humid days, powerlines work overtime. They've been setting up generators to help the grid, with so many having their air conditioners on full blast. If you're looking for a place to cool off, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications has cooling stations throughout the city. Most will be open until 5 p.m.

130 million people on alert as hot, sticky weather expected from Texas to Maine
130 million people on alert as hot, sticky weather expected from Texas to Maine

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

130 million people on alert as hot, sticky weather expected from Texas to Maine

At least 130 million people from Texas to Maine are under alert for dangerous heat and humidity over the next few days. Hot and sticky temperatures will make it feel as high as 115 degrees in parts of the Mississippi River Valley. Even Niagara Falls will get no relief from the sweltering conditions; the tourist destination will feel like the mid-to-upper 90s on Thursday. The heat index in Chicago, which factors in humidity, will make it feel in the triple digits and nighttime and early-morning temperatures will provide little comfort. As of 4 a.m. Thursday, the actual temperature was 80 degrees, or 85 with the heat index. Texas will be just as hot on Thursday, as the heat index is expected to make it feel 107. Up north in Detroit, it's forecast to feel 102. Dangerous heat will spread to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as temperatures in the I-95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Maine, will make it feel like it's in the mid-90s on Thursday. Maine is under a heat advisory mainly for Friday as the heat index will make Portland, Maine, feel like it's 100 degrees. New York City, Boston and Philadelphia are also bracing for extreme temperatures. On Friday, the feels-like temperature is expected to be reach 104 in New York City, 103 in Boston, 106 in Philadelphia and 109 in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Midwest and the Southeast is expected to see hot and humid weather stretch into the weekend and into early next, as the heat indices are expected to make it feel 110 degrees in some parts. MORE: Congressional committees push back on Trump administration's proposed NOAA budget cuts Most of the Southeast, including Atlanta, is expected to see a level four out four "extreme heat risk" on Monday and Tuesday as a potentially life-threatening heat wave continues in the region. Besides the heat, the Midwest, specifically Kansas and Missouri, is expected to see a summer flash flooding continue. Strong thunderstorms on Thursday could cause flooding across the region, which is still recovering from flash floods earlier this week. MORE: Body of missing woman found as death toll from Texas floods reaches at least 136 Heavy thunderstorms are expected to develop over the Midwest on Thursday afternoon and through the night, with rainfall totals forecast to reach 2 to 4 inches or higher in some areas along the I-70 corridor. The Kansas City region may see the brunt of storms with multiple rounds of heavy rain possible.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store