The summer solstice is still hours away, and the official start of astronomical summer promises to sweep scorching heat across much of the United States.
“Uncomfortable” heat rolled around the Great Lakes through the Mississippi Valley and into the Plains and parts of the Southeast on Monday, AccuWeather said. Minneapolis should reach triple-digit heat on Monday. Central Minnesota braced itself for a heat index of 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Extreme heat and humidity will greatly increase the potential for heat-related illness, particularly for those who work or participate in outdoor activities,” the National Weather Service warned. “The heat can also cause some roads to buckle.”
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The weather service warned of storms on Tuesday that could bring dangerous winds and large hail.
Tuesday will offer no respite in Chicago. The Windy City will welcome summer with a high temperature forecast of 98 degrees. St. Louis was forecast to hit 99 degrees and Milwaukee is facing 97 degrees and a heat index that could reach 105.
All of this follows days of sweltering, record-breaking heat across the region — Grand Forks, North Dakota, hit 100 degrees, breaking Sunday’s high temperature record of 96, set in 1995.
Blame the “heat dome” that will trap heat in the southern US this week, AccuWeather said. The same bubble of intense heat is expected to slide into the Mississippi Delta region later in the week.
Gulf Coast cities like New Orleans could see a 5 to 10 degree rise in temperature. Record highs of 101 in 2009 and 97 in 2016 could be challenged on Friday and Saturday, AccuWeather said.
“While temperatures and humidity ease somewhat in parts of the Midwest towards the end of the week, more dangerous temperatures and humidity will return this coming weekend,” said Dean DeVore, AccuWeather’s chief weather forecaster.
On the East Coast, temperatures are set to warm in the coming days after extremely cool readings over the weekend — Canaan Valley, West Virginia, hit a low of 25 degrees on Sunday morning, AccuWeather reported. Waverly, New York checked in at 32 degrees.
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Without humidity it would not be summer in the East, and after a pause of a few days it returns.
“Although cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City will warm up early in the week, the most notable change in the weather pattern through mid-week will be the increase in humidity,” said Dan Pydynowski, AccuWeather’s chief weather forecaster.
Parts of Europe are also facing extreme heat. Spain has been on alert for the outbreak of intense wildfires as the country endures record-breaking temperatures in June. In many Spanish cities, thermometers have soared above 104 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the week.
Contribution: The Associated Press
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