Tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat warnings as cities including Chicago began experiencing record heat on Tuesday. A week of intense heat.
Midwestern States I started baking on Monday. The National Weather Service expects a dangerous and prolonged heat wave to continue from Iowa to Maine through at least Friday.
Firefighters extinguish a burning outbuilding as the Point Fire spreads along West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, California, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
New York Gov. Kathy Hawkle said Tuesday that the state has activated the National Guard to respond to any heat-related emergencies over the next few days.
“These are times of great risk and we are doing everything we can to ensure that all lives are protected,” Haukl said at a morning briefing.
Chicago recorded a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius) on Monday, breaking a temperature record set in 1957. Hot and muggy conditions will continue this week, with the maximum temperature index at times reaching nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius), the National Weather Service said in a post on social platform X.
Despite the heat, people in Chicago’s Grant Park neighborhood ordered the spiciest dishes on the menu at food truck chef Emmanuel Ramos. WBBM-TV reported.
“They order the spiciest things on the hottest days,” he said. “They order ramen, corn. They just want everything hot. I don’t know why,” Ramos said. “Right now, what’s good is smoothies.”
Last year in the United States Most frequent heat waves This is the first time since 1936 that an unusually hot spell has lasted for more than two days, and authorities have warned residents to be careful.
A woman stretches out her arms while reading a book in the shade of a tree in Yards Park as temperatures begin to rise in Washington, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Most of the Midwest and Northeast Heatstroke warning or advisoryOfficials are opening cooling centers and urging people to limit outdoor activities where possible and to check on family members and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.
The heat has been especially dangerous in Phoenix in recent years. 645 people died The number of heat stroke deaths in 2023 broke records, with temperatures reaching 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 degrees Celsius) on Saturday, and forecasters said the first two weeks of June in Phoenix were the hottest start to a month on record.
Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, advised people to limit time outdoors between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., stay hydrated and wear light, loose-fitting clothing. More than 100 cooling centers have been opened in the city and surrounding counties, including two new ones that operate at night.
Children cool off in the fountain at Gallagher Way Park during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
In Southern California, firefighters Strengthened containment Large wildfires are burning in rugged, hard-to-access areas of the mountains north of Los Angeles, but hot, dry and windy conditions on Tuesday could make firefighting difficult. Wildfires are also burning in New Mexico. Encourage evacuation A village with a population of 7,000.
The rising temperatures come amid growing concern about the impacts of extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity sent a petition to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday asking it to recognize the two as major disasters.
The agency did not immediately issue a specific response to the petition. A FEMA spokesman for the Western states said there was nothing preventing them from declaring a heat emergency, but noted there would need to be an imminent threat to life and safety that local authorities could not respond to.
Home plate umpire Carlos Torres remains calm during the bottom of the ninth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
As much of the U.S. experiences scorching heat, late-season snow is expected in the northern Rocky Mountains and winter storm warnings have been issued for parts of Montana and north-central Idaho, with up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of snow expected in the higher elevations around Glacier National Park.
Meanwhile, a new influx of tropical moisture is increasing the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding along the central Gulf Coast.
This year’s hurricane season Most Active In recent memory.
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AP weather forecast here https://apnews.com/hub/weather
