As Europe is reeling from scorching heat, the United States is set to witness a severe and prolonged heatwave this week that will soar temperatures and reportedly usher in sweltering daytime heat, high humidity, and suffocating overnight temperatures.
Extreme heat alerts for a historic holiday weekend
According to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Tuesday announcement, nearly 120 million people are under an extreme heat warning as Americans head into the Fourth of July weekend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of independence, the BBC reported.
The NWS further said temperatures would range between 32 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius with high humidity, adding that the heat could push the maximum temperatures to around 46 degrees Celsius, Euro News reported.
Heat dome trajectory across Midwest and East Coast
According to NWS predictions, the extreme temperatures in the US would be caused by a heat dome, and the hot spell is likely to peak in the Midwest and Mississippi Valley from Tuesday to Thursday.
A cyclist rides in front of a police water cannon hose spraying a cooling mist over passersby in Heroes’ Square during a heatwave in Budapest, Hungary. (AP)
The scorching temperatures will then affect the Ohio Valley and East Coast on Thursday, further moving into the holiday weekend.
NYC’s Zohran Mamdani’s plan and public cooling centers
Ahead of the heatwave onset, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani set up a heat emergency plan with hundreds of cooling centres to be opened across NYC from Wednesday onwards, BBC reported.
Detroit, Michigan have already opened around a dozen recreation centres with ACs for residents to cool down.
Weather forecasters issue critical safety warnings
The NWS on Tuesday said, “This stretch of upcoming record-breaking heat from the Midwest to the East Coast will be particularly dangerous.”
The weather forecaster added, “This is due not only to the soaring daytime highs, but also the days-long duration of heat, and even morning lows that will be record warm – depriving areas of nighttime relief.”
The cumulative and invisible dangers of prolonged exposure
Such prolonged heatwaves are among America’s most deadly events as “impacts are less visible and build over time,” the NWS added.
A man walks along the railing of a bridge before diving in the Limmat river during a heatwave in Zurich, Switzerland. (AP Photo) 
A cyclist rides in front of a police water cannon hose spraying a cooling mist over passersby in Heroes’ Square during a heatwave in Budapest, Hungary. (AP)
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