More than 85% of Americans are preparing for temperatures above 90°F through the weekend, with millions in the Southcentral US expected to witness readings in triple digits.
More than a hundred million people are under various heat alerts. In states more than two dozen, from parts of the American west to New England, a suffocating cocoon that experts believe will become common because of the adverse effects of climate change.
“Widespread high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s and low 100s will encompass a majority of the country on Thursday and Friday,” the NWS (National Weather Service) warned Wednesday.
South West, Central, and the Southcentral US are the areas at the highest risk for dangerously hot temperatures. Other than these, the coastal mid-Atlantic region and the Northeast are likely under the same radar.
The severe heatwave has resulted in state and local leaders issuing heat emergencies and offering resources to residents to tackle the high temperatures.
For instance, Philadelphia announced a heat emergency for Thursday owing to the anticipated heat, activating emergency programs such as special field teams that conduct home visits and reach people experiencing homelessness, remarked the Department of health.
Similarly, in New York, residents have been asked to stay indoors in the coming days as the heat waves continue to sweep across the state to avoid dangerous conditions that can result in heat stress and illness.
Meanwhile, triple-digit, it will continue to hit significant parts of California, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
The heat is anticipated to continue through the weekend in various places, and more than 85% of the population, or 275 million Americans, can witness high temperatures above 90° in the coming week. Deadly conditions have matched the severe heat across the US in Europe; the records have been smashed in Europe in Paris by an information system that put 19 Europe countries on extreme fires.