Heat dome expected to affect 70 million Americans with temperatures up to 120°F
A high-pressure system is set to bring extreme heat to the southern and central United States, prompting excessive-heat advisories for about 70 million people.
A third major heat dome is moving across the United States, covering areas from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains and the Midwest. The National Weather Service expects daytime temperatures between 95°F and 105°F (35-40°C), with some desert locations in the Southwest potentially reaching 120°F (48°C). The high-pressure ridge is expected to keep the heat in place through the weekend and into the following week.
The heat dome has triggered excessive-heat advisories for roughly 70 million residents. An extreme heat warning has been issued for western Nebraska, where forecasts call for 108°F (42°C). Officials warn that the combination of high temperatures and humidity could pose serious health risks, especially for older adults, pregnant individuals, children and people with pre-existing conditions.
The event follows two earlier heat domes this month, one that prompted cancellations of Independence Day activities in the eastern United States and another that produced 115°F (46°C) readings in Montana. The current pattern may also set new temperature records in the Denver area.
Across the country, firefighters are battling 88 wildfires, while similar heat-related emergencies are unfolding in Europe, where hundreds of thousands have evacuated due to wildfires in Spain and France.
"We are experiencing exactly what the climate models in the 1990s said we should experience now," said Andy Pershing, chief program officer at Climate Central. "More frequent, more severe heatwaves, bigger temperature anomalies, more humidity, higher overnight temperatures—these are all part and parcel of the climate story."