Two-thirds of the United States is set to experience a “dangerous and widespread” heat wave this weekend, as temperatures are expected to rise above 100 degrees in many parts of the midwest and the East Coast, affecting millions of people.
“A large dome of high pressure will allow high temperatures to surge into the 90s and 100s in many locations, while heat indices will top 100 and approach 110 degrees or higher. There also will be no relief at night, as low temperatures remain in the upper 70s and 80s,” the National Weather Service said.
The weather service has issued heat advisories and excessive heat warnings — meaning the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be at least 100 or 105 degrees, respectively, for at least two days, with night temperatures remaining above 75 degrees — throughout much of Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska and Kansas. There are also heat advisories for eastern parts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware and New Jersey, with an excessive heat warning in the Philadelphia area.
This “major heat wave” follows the hottest June on record around the world, as the global average temperature was 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit above the average temperature for the month. Some have predicted this month could become the hottest July on record as well.
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“July is the warmest month of the year globally,” Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Penn State, tweeted on Monday. “If this July turns out to be the warmest July (it has a good shot at it), it will be the warmest month we have measured on Earth!”
Extreme heat causes more fatalities than any other weather hazard in the country, including hurricanes and tornadoes, according to U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics. And scientists have warned that incidents of extreme heat are likely to occur even more frequently and for longer periods of time due to climate change. In a paper published in April, researchers at Princeton found that compound heat waves, occurring back-to-back, will become more frequent in the future and will pose greater health and safety risks as global warming worsens.
In preparation for this weekend, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City are operating cooling centers as they expect “extremely dangerous heat.” Officials are encouraging people to stay in an air-conditioned place, remain hydrated, check on neighbors who might be especially vulnerable to heat and be careful about strenuous outdoor activities.
Write to Katie Reilly at [email protected].