Things are about to heat up across much of the U.S. Dangerously high temperatures are forecast for the Midwest and Northeast this week, prompting health officials to urge people to make plans now to Stay safe.
A heat wave already raised temperatures in many southern states over the weekend.
CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson says 22 million people in the U.S. will be in places where the mercury soars to at least 100 degrees this week, while 265 million will see it reach 90 degrees and 58 millions are under heat warnings.
The heat wave follows an earlier-than-usual one in the Southwest last week that saw temperatures in the triple digits in places like Phoenix, where there were 645 heat-related deaths last year. Temperatures reached 111 degrees in the Arizona city by 5 p.m. Saturday and eventually climbed even further to 112 degrees before the end of the day. The National Weather Service in Phoenix he said The reading was seven degrees above the average temperature recorded on June 15 in previous years – which is 105 degrees – but remained below the record high of 115 degrees set in 1896 and 1974.
The world has seen high temperatures this yearwith more than three-quarters of the world's population experiencing at least one month of extreme heat.
Last year the US had the most heat waves – unusually hot weather lasting more than two days – since 1936. In the South and Southwest, last year was the worst on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The next heat wave was expected to increase on Sunday in the center of the country before spreading eastwards the National Weather Service said, with some areas likely to see extreme heat reaching daily records. The heat wave could last all week and into the weekend in many places. Parts of the country will also see a heat domewhere warm air is trapped by the atmosphere.
Which areas will see extreme heat?
There will be areas of extreme heat — when there is little or no overnight relief — from Texas to Maine, according to the National Weather Service heat hazard map. Extreme heat will quickly spread eastward from the Plains states on Sunday, moving into the Great Lakes and Upper Ohio Valley regions on Monday and reaching the Northeast on Tuesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. last perspective.
Temperatures are expected to top out in the mid-90s in the mid-Atlantic region and New England, which, National Weather Service meteorologist William Churchill told The Associated Press, “is nothing to sneeze at even in the middle of summer. let alone this early summer.” The increased humidity will make things feel warmer in many places, Churchill said, while the weather forecast center noted that those high temperatures are possible as far north as Vermont and New Hampshire.
Forecasters predicted the heat could set daily and potentially monthly temperature records in the Ohio Valley and Northeast, with dew point Making some areas feel as hot as 105 degrees, according to the weather service. There's even a small chance temperatures in northern Maine could reach 100 degrees, David Roth, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, told the AP.
“The town of Caribou in northern Maine usually counts how many 80-degree days they have in a year. The fact that they have a chance of reaching 100 is very unusual,” Roth said.
In Pittsburgh, an extreme heat warning was set to go into effect Monday and last through the week as the city braces for a heat wave. Monday's temperature could break or tie the city's daily record of 95 degrees, CBS Pittsburgh he reported, adding that the weather will likely be in the triple digits. Pittsburgh hasn't seen a heat wave as strong as today's since 1988, according to the station.
It will be the metro Detroit area's worst heat wave in 20 years or more, with temperatures forecast in the mid-90s and heat indices around 100 F starting Monday and likely lasting into the weekend, said National Weather Service meteorologist Steven Freitag. There's a chance the area could see its first 100-degree day since July 2012.
Although nighttime temperatures will drop into the 70s, providing some relief, the duration of the heat may have cumulative and potentially dangerous result in the body, Freitag said.
What are the dangers of excessive heat?
Heat-related illnesses can be fatal if not recognized and treated early, and often starts with muscle cramps or spasms, experts say. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke may follow. In the United States, an estimated 1,220 people die each year from extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which notes in the heat safety instructions that all heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include profuse sweating and fatigue. weak pulse; skin that is cool, pale, or soft; and headache, dizziness, nausea, and fainting. The person should be moved to an air-conditioned area and offered sips of water. Loosen their clothing and apply cool, damp cloths or put them in a cool bath. Get medical help if they vomit.
A person suffering from heatstroke may experience headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, and a body temperature above 103 degrees. They may also have hot, red dry or moist skin. fast pulse and fainting or loss of consciousness. The CDC advises people to call 911 immediately and, while waiting for help, use cool cloths or a cool bath and move them to an air-conditioned area, but do not give them anything to drink.
A study supported by the National Institutes of Health published in 2023 forecast increase in heat-related deaths from 2036 to 2065 due to rising temperatures.
“Climate change and its many manifestations will play an increasingly important role in the health of communities around the world in the coming decades,” lead study author Dr. Sameed Khatana, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and staff cardiologist at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said in a news release. “Climate change is also a health equity issue, as it will disproportionately affect some individuals and populations and may exacerbate pre-existing health disparities in the US.”
Young children and infants, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic conditions are particularly vulnerable, as are those who cannot move around well or who live alone. The NIH-supported study also said black Americans may be at greater risk for heat-related deaths or illnesses.
How can you stay safe from extreme heat?
Stay indoors in an air-conditioned area and limit outdoor activities during periods of extreme heat, experts said. If you don't have air conditioning, find out if your community will open cooling centers. But even those with air conditioning should plan ahead in case of a power outage, said Freitag, of the National Weather Service. Limit outdoor activities to the morning or, better yet, don't go out at all, he said.
Other tips from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
1. Drink plenty of water and take a cool shower or bath.
2. Wear light, loose clothing and use your stove and oven less.
3. Check on friends and family, especially those without air conditioning.
Communities can also prepare by opening cooling centers in places like schools and libraries. Some also send text messages to residents or have hotlines that people can call for help.
In Franklin County, Ohio, the Office on Aging distributes fans to residents 60 and older, spokeswoman Christine Howard said.
And some businesses whose employees work outside say they will start earlier to avoid the worst of the heat.
“When you have this kind of heat, any outdoor activities should be of short duration (preferably) … in the early morning hours,” Freitag said. “But otherwise, there really shouldn't be any outdoor physical activity during the peak of the day.”