US faces hottest week of summer as more than 260 million sizzle from above-average temperatures
Buckle up, America. Most of the country will experience the hottest week of the summer as the dangerously hot temperatures baking parts of the South and West for weeks begin to expand to the East Coast, with more than 260 million people from coast-to-coast seeing above-average heat.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, this will be the hottest week of the summer after comparing conditions to the previous two months, as a shifting upper air pattern will plunge the East Coast into dangerous heat and humidity later in the week.
Wednesday and Thursday will be among the peak heat days with about 75% of the nation's population experiencing warmer than average temperatures. Only the Pacific Northwest and parts of the northern Rockies escape the intense heat.
Temperatures into the 90s will stretch from the Southwest through the southern Plains, Midwest, Southeast, mid-Atlantic and Northeast by Thursday.
But while temperatures will be hot, the FOX Forecast Center doesn’t expect many high temperature records to fall.
Millions of Americans from the West Coast to Florida are under either Excessive Heat Warnings or Heat Advisories as temperatures soar.
Heat Advisories are much more expansive and encompass areas from California and the Southwest to the Plains. South Florida is also still under Heat Advisory. The Sunshine State has had those alerts in place for more than 20 straight days.
"It’s important to remind people that, you know, Florida, it does get hot," FOX Weather meteorologist Jason Frazer said. "It’s just that we’ve been historically seeing temperatures anywhere between 10 to about 15 degrees above where they should be for this time of year."
Heat alerts are likely to expand as the heat builds across the U.S. this week.
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With temperatures rising, taking the proper precautions to stay safe is important.
The extreme heat has claimed several lives so far this summer, including at least two people inside Death Valley National Park in California. Last week, a 10-month-old was left alone in a hot car in Florida and died. Several people have also died in Texas and Arizona since June due to the extreme heat.
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The Fox Forecast Center expects Wednesday to be the hottest day of the week for millions across the U.S.
Temperatures ranging from the low 90s to 100 degrees are expected from the Plains and Midwest to the Great Lakes region, Southeast and mid-Atlantic.
Nashville has a forecast high of 96 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 100 degrees.
Kansas City is expected to have a high temperature of around 100 degrees with a feels-like temperature of 106 degrees.
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The hot temperatures will stick around in the east as we head toward the end of the week.
On Thursday, New York City is expected to see a high temperature of 95 degrees. But the humidity will have arrived by that time, and the feels-like temperature will make it feel like it's around 102 degrees.
Detroit, too, has a forecast high temperature in the upper 80s, but it will feel like it's in the 90s.
St. Louis has a forecast high of 101 degrees on Thursday but will feel closer to 110.
For the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, the heat will linger through Friday and Saturday, with highs remaining well into the 90s and heat index readings pushing well past 100. Relief should finally come around Sunday.
