More than 170 million people are under heat alerts across the central United States, the Midwest, the Southeast and the East Coast, with some areas feeling temperatures as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Alerts are in place for a large swath of the country, stretching from the Dakotas, lower Wisconsin, Michigan and New York down to northeast Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
Extreme heat warnings — which are issued when hazardous heat conditions are expected or occurring and when locals should avoid outdoor activities — are in place for portions of Iowa, North Dakota, lower Illinois down to Mississippi, as well as the Carolinas and Georgia. Some of those extreme heat warnings, including in Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Missouri, are in effect through Wednesday evening.
Major cities under heat alerts Monday include Dallas; Oklahoma City; St. Louis; Chicago; Memphis, Tennessee; Atlanta; Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
The majority of record highs Monday are expected to occur across Florida and Georgia, where high temperatures combined with high humidity will result in heat index values of up to 115.
Tampa, Chicago, Atlanta and New York City will see temperatures in the high 90s throughout Wednesday, with maximum heat indexes between 99 and 110.
New York City will have cooling centers open Monday through Wednesday, including at libraries, community centers and senior centers.
A code red hot weather health warning was activated in Newark, New Jersey, through Wednesday, Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a press release Monday. The health department urged residents to take the proper precautions.
The heat continues after a sweltering weekend in some parts of the country. Tampa hit 100 for the first time on record — a difficult feat due to high humidity. Charlotte, North Carolina, hit 101 Saturday and 102 Sunday, marking a period of rare heat.
In Arizona, first responders rescued at least three hikers experiencing heat exhaustion on mountain trails in Scottsdale and Phoenix on Saturday.
Record warmth is once again possible across Florida, the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast on Tuesday. Cooler temperatures are expected to arrive for the Midwest, the Great Lakes and the Northeast by Thursday, while the South and Florida will continue to experience hot temperatures throughout the week.
Meanwhile, storms, rain and strong winds will also be a threat Monday, with 8 million people at risk for severe storms across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
Storms have already battered the eastern half of the country with heavy rain and flooding, knocking down trees and power lines over the past week.
Thunderstorms are forecast to develop late Monday over parts of eastern South Dakota and form into a derecho — a widespread, long-lived wind storm with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
It’ll then move east-southeast into southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. The possible derecho is expected to produce a few tornadoes and instances of severe hail are also possible.
Wind gusts of 75 mph, with some isolated gusts exceeding 100 mph, are possible across portions of South Dakota and Minnesota.
The Interstates 29 and 90 corridors are particularly at risk for the damaging winds, which could cause major travel issues for semi-trucks and high-profile vehicles. Cities at risk include Minneapolis; Sioux Falls, Pierre and Aberdeen, South Dakota; and Fargo, North Dakota.
Heavy rain will also be a threat, with 3 to 4 inches of rain possible in the heaviest thunderstorms.
Widespread significant flash flooding is not anticipated; however, if repeated storms impact the same areas, it could result in isolated instances of flooding.
Ruidoso, New Mexico, is once again under a flood watch, effective through tonight. Three people were killed in the mountain community in historic flooding earlier this month, after the area suffered devastating wildfires last year. Burn scar flooding will be a risk if thunderstorms set up near or over the flood-vulnerable area.
