Millions of Americans are bracing themselves for dangerous temperatures at the start of the working week as a heat dome blankets the midwest and eastern United States.
Heat advisories are in place in Kansas and Texas all the way to New York and South Carolina, as the area of high pressure that caused misery in the west last week slowly makes its way across the country.
Air quality alerts are also in place in major cities across the east coast including New York and Philadelphia, signaling dangerous outdoor conditions for those with respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
Near record breaking daily temperatures are forecast for multiple cities, with 102F (39C) expected in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Monday afternoon and 97F (36C) in New York City on Tuesday. It will likely feel even hotter due to high humidity levels, which will make this heatwave even more dangerous, especially those without access to air conditioning or other adequate cooling.
The National Weather Service has warned of “major” and “extreme” heat for many eastern areas, as well as parts of the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley.
The current heat and humidity are forecast to reach peak intensity by Tuesday afternoon before cooler air from Canada brings a welcome relief to the heat later this week, according to the NWS.
Meanwhile, red flag warnings are in place in parts of Oregon and Idaho, signaling critical fire weather conditions due a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures. Flash floods and tornadoes are also forecast in parts of the midwest including Illinois and Minneapolis, according to the NWS.
It has been a very hot start to the heat season across the US, with heat related deaths reported in multiple states as the climate emergency makes extreme temperatures and longer heatwaves more likely.
The deadly heatwave that scorched large swaths of Mexico, Central America and the southern US in May and June was made 35 times more likely due to human-induced global heating, according to research by leading climate scientists from World Weather Attribution.
