Heat dome spreads across central U.S., putting millions at risk
WASHINGTON — Dangerously hot weather will sweep across much of the central United States this weekend into next week, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees from Dallas to North Dakota and about 70 million people under heat warnings.

hot domeAtmospheric conditions trap heat, causing persistent high temperatures and accumulated discomfort. Forecasters said overnight low temperatures are not expected to drop enough to give people much chance of recovery, with heat stress intensifying as the severe weather continues. High humidity can make it feel worse.
Large swathes of the country will endure sweltering midsummer weather. It would stretch from the desert Southwest to the Gulf Coast and into the Midwest and the Great Plains. Forecasters said some records in the Denver area could be broken. Temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
“It looks like it’s going to be pretty much stationary at this location through the week,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Oravec said.
The National Weather Service has issued extreme heat warnings for areas including western Nebraska, where temperatures are expected to reach 108 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.
At the Fur Trade Museum near Chadron, Nebraska, there are fewer visitors than usual this time of year. Meanwhile, fur hats and furs are not selling so well in gift shops.
“I’m sure no one would want to wear it on a day like this,” said museum employee Hannah Lovelace. On the other hand, baggy, period-accurate fabric shirts remain popular with people heading to historical frontier reenactments, known as “dates,” she said.
High temperatures are expected to continue throughout the region for a week, with temperatures topping 100 degrees even in the typically temperate areas of Montana and Wyoming.
Oravec said there could be some relief in the central United States next weekend, but even that would likely be temporary.
Some areas will be spared. Extreme heat should be avoided across much of the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions and the Pacific Northwest.
It’s the latest sign of severe weather so far this summer. The eastern United States experienced It’s unbearably hot in early July This forced communities to cancel Independence Day celebrations and disrupted the country’s 250th anniversary commemorations. Another heat wave hits in mid-July Attacked the Southwest and Great Plains. It’s not just the United States. June heatwave devastates Europe; French record During this period, at least 5,700 more people died than usual.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will offer water stations and cooling spots to fans of the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. Packaged coolers are allowed. In Denver, recreation centers will set aside areas in front of air conditioners for people to escape the heat.
This heat dome can be dangerous. Children and older adults, as well as people with existing health problems, are especially at risk for serious illnesses such as heat stroke. this The foundation is very important: People should seek out air conditioning or cooling centers, make sure to drink enough water and limit time in direct sunlight.
The weather will change this week, with the worst heat expected to be particularly severe in parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast by Wednesday.
Understanding exactly how climate change affects specific events in real time can be difficult. But rising levels of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels make it more likely that hot days will become more frequent and extreme, said Andy Pershing, chief program officer at the climate change communications nonprofit Climate Center.
“What we’re experiencing is exactly what climate models in the 1990s said we should be experiencing now. That’s more frequent, more severe heat waves, greater temperature anomalies, greater humidity, higher nighttime temperatures,” Pershing said. “These are all important parts of the climate story.”
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Mead Gruver of Fort Collins, Colorado, also contributed.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.