Dangerously high temperatures continue to threaten much of the country, with forecasters suggesting 85 percent of the nation could face heat warnings by the weekend.
Over 210 million were facing temperatures above 90 degrees early Friday, according to reports NBC News The Weather Prediction Center said it could rise to 275 million over the next week. At least 60 million of those could experience temperatures over 100 degrees.
The center says 60 different high-temperature records were either set or broken this week alone, with weak ones more likely to advance.
The humidity and heat may be accompanied by other extreme weather conditions, with officials predicting “monsoon humidity” that will bring heavy rains to parts of the southwest on Friday.
Temperatures in the New York City area are set to soar back into the 90s for the fourth straight day — below triple-digit records — but high humidity levels will keep it feeling well over 100 degrees as the city heads for its longest heatwave has faced since 2013.
Temperatures have already climbed above the 100 mark in several towns in the South West
The humidity and heat may be accompanied by other extreme weather conditions, with officials predicting “monsoon humidity” that will bring heavy rains to parts of the southwest on Friday
The Weather Prediction Center says 60 different high-temperature records were either set or broken this week alone, with more likely coming in the faint future
Clouds pass before sunset July 21, 2022 near Mayer, Arizona, in one of eight counties in the state amid an excessive heat warning
Brent Thurmon, who is currently homeless, is driven to 11th Street, just west of Trenton Ave., by his friend AJ McCosar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thurmon had been to a local hospital for dehydration and was treated and discharged. He said they gave him an IV and was unable to get up or move
Oklahoma City residents try to catch some cool waves on an artificial whitewater raft at a local water park
People eat under water sprayers at a restaurant on July 21, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona
For many, the heat is likely to last through late July, with millions facing triple-digit temperatures.
Cities like Las Vegas (115 degrees), Phoenix (113 degrees), Memphis (102 degrees), San Antonio (101 degrees) and Oklahoma City (100 degrees) already broke the 100 mark on Friday.
After extreme weather in the Northeast for much of Thursday, it will be the upper Midwest this weekend that will brace for potential tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds in parts of Minnesota this Saturday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Cities like Chicago, Detroit, and much of Wisconsin are at slightly lower risk of extreme storms.
Meanwhile, parts of the Northwest are currently in critical conditions for potential fire weather.
People rest in the shade in Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan as temperatures soar into the 90s
A child plays in a fountain during a heatwave in Boston, Massachusetts
In Philadelphia, officials have issued a “Heat Health Advisory” due to the weather, meaning the city will open cooling centers and increase outreach for both the homeless and those considered vulnerable, according to 6ABC.
The Storms Are Coming Soaring temperatures across the country prompted Boston to declare a “heat emergency” on Wednesday, while New York City officials are urging residents to stay indoors for their own safety.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also declared a state of emergency and has set up dozens of refrigeration centers across the city to protect locals.
Jackie Bray, commissioner of New York’s Homeland Security and Emergency Services Department, urged residents to stay indoors rather than risk the “dangerous” heat wave.
The hot weather can have tragic effects. The city of Dallas reported its first heat-related death of 2022, a 66-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, according to the city’s health and human services.
Susana Segura is distributing water, bananas and sun protection hats to homeless and other needy people in San Antonio with Bread and Blankets Mutual Aid
A man is dying to enjoy the shade at a park in Boston, where a heat warning is in effect
A fan cools the inside of a home during a heat wave July 21, 2022 in Houston
Officials in Arizona’s largest county, Maricopa, said heat-related deaths nearly doubled from the same period last year, according to CNN.
The highest temperature on record was recorded in California’s Death Valley on Thursday, where temperatures at times hit a shocking 122 degrees.
A “heat dome” that covers land is largely due to a sustained high-pressure region that traps heat over an area.