More than 130 million people in the United States are under threat from a prolonged heatwave that has already broken records with dangerously high temperatures, forecasters said. The scorching heat will be felt from the East Coast to the West Coast.
The heat and humidity could drive temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius) in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast, according to Jacob Asherman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS). Al-Jazeera published this stunning report today.
In the Pacific Northwest, records could be broken in Oregon cities including Eugene, Portland, and Salem, Asherman said. Dozens of other records across the U.S. could fall, prompting millions to seek relief in cooling centers from Bullhead City, Arizona, to Norfolk, Virginia.
The NWS extended the excessive heat warning for much of the southwest into Friday, predicting three-digit temperatures that are 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (8-16 degrees Celsius) higher than average in the western U.S. into next week.
The eastern U.S. is also expected to experience more hot temperatures. Baltimore and other parts of Maryland are under an excessive heat warning as heat index values could climb to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), forecasters said.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” read a National Weather Service advisory for the Baltimore area. “Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”
