Topline
High heat bearing down on the central U.S. this weekend will continue through Monday, according to the National Weather Service, with roughly 70 million people facing severe heat risks.
Parts of the central U.S. will experience major heat risks through Monday.
Photo by Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
“Hazardous heat” is forecast to build “steadily” into the Great Basin and Northern Plains through the weekend, with widespread major heat risks and isolated extreme heat risks in places from the Rockies toward the Mississippi Valley and south to the Gulf Coast, according to the NWS.
The NWS defines major heat risk as temperatures dangerous to those without “proper hydration or adequate cooling,” noting those in living spaces without air conditioners could be exposed to “deadly” temperatures.
The heat risk map for Sunday forecasts major risks in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida—many of which have small pockets of places with extreme heat risk.
High temperatures will generally range from the upper 90s to lower 100s in central and southern states, with isolated areas in the Southwest experiencing temperatures up to 120 degree Fahrenheit, according to the NWS.
What To Watch For
Major heat risks are forecast to dissipate in some parts of the central U.S. by Friday, when high temperatures will grow in the South and Southwest.
Crucial Quote
“High temperatures combined with high humidity can raise heat indices to 105 to 115 degrees, which will pose health risk concerns to anyone without adequate cooling or hydration,” NWS noted. Heat indices measure what temperatures feel like to the human body, not the temperature itself.
Key Background
The seasonal temperature outlook for August, September and October calls for slightly above or above normal temperatures in a majority of the U.S., with much of the central U.S. expected to have equal chances of lower-than-usual or higher-than-usual temperatures. El Niño, a climate pattern that is characterized by warmer-than-average ocean surface temperatures, developed in the tropical Pacific last month and is expected to strengthen, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. El Niño typically results in a warmer than usual winter in the northern U.S. and an increase in storms in the southern tier of the U.S.