Midwest, Northeast to experience extreme heat wave

Americans from Kansas to Maine are bracing for a grilling heat wave this week that could see the mercury hit triple digits with high humidity.

Dangerously hot temperatures have sparked warnings from weather and health officials across the country, as concerns rise for heat exhaustion and dehydration.

An “extreme” heat risk, defined as long-term heat with “little-to-no overnight relief,” will start in Iowa and Missouri on Monday and move east over the course of the week, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast. 

The “heat dome” phenomenon will sit over Illinois, Michigan and Ohio for much of the week. Detroit could reach 100 degrees on Monday, which would be the first time since 2012. The “extreme” risk will shift to parts of upstate New York and cities on the Eastern Seaboard into the weekend.

All of Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus will see temperatures into the mid-upper 90s, with those extreme temperatures reaching Philadelphia and Washington by Friday and Saturday, the NWS predicted. 

Thursday will bring the worst heat to New England, with the extreme heat warning extending through Maine to the Canadian border and bringing the temperature as high as 98 degrees in Boston.

The NWS recommended people in the affected regions be careful to stay well hydrated and limit time in the sun. Heat-related illnesses can come on quickly, with early warning signs including lightheadedness and weakness. Children, the elderly and pregnant women are instructed to be especially careful.

The heat wave comes just after the Southwest experienced an early season scorcher last week. Phoenix and Las Vegas both topped 110 degrees, weeks earlier in the year than those high temperatures are usually expected.

Last year had the most heat waves of any year since 1936. In the South and Southwest specifically, it was the worst year ever for heat, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.