It’s going to get hot - again - for a large stretch of the U.S. in the coming days.
Prepare for another round of high temperatures, sticky humidity and sweat as the central U.S. is set to be under another heat dome this weekend and into next week. Over 50 million residents in states stretching from Texas to North Dakota are expected to be in its path, according to forecasters at AccuWeather.
Unfortunately, many are already in the midst of major heat events right now.
The weather in Texas is dangerously hot, with heat index values at or above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. A heat advisory was issued by the National Weather Service. Similar advisories were issued in Oklahoma.
“This latest heat dome has already settled over Texas and the interior Southwest,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski wrote. “Dallas reached 100 Monday and 106 Tuesday and Wednesday, and highs are forecast to remain at or above 100 through early next week.”
Northern-central states, such as Kansas and Nebraska are seeing some relief Thursday following temperatures that climbed to above 100 degrees on Tuesday.
But more hot and humid air is on the way. Temperatures over 100 degrees will spike in Missouri, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wyoming. Surrounding states will be hot - just not as hot. High temperatures in the Midwest and the Great Lakes region are in the 80s and 90s.
But any heat above 80 degrees can pose a danger to human health, according to the National Weather Service’s Heat Index.
Danger comes at temperatures above 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
Two heat domes that swept the nation earlier this month already reached temperatures above that, leading to train delays on buckling tracks and canceling Fourth of July celebrations.
July is typically the summer’s hottest month, but that tempatures are getting hotter and summers and stretching into fall months thanks to human-caused climate change, according to analyses from non-profit Climate Central.
Climate change is also making heat domes more likely and intense, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Heat is already the number one weather-related killer in the U.S., leading to 2,000 deaths each year, Yale research shows.
The invisible killer can strain organ function and makes the heart work harder to pump blood.
That’s why experts advise Americans to stay inside, avoid outdoor workouts, stay hydrated and use cooling centers.
“Even routine outdoor activities may become dangerous during the hottest part of the day,” said Sosnowski. “Limit strenuous activity during the midday and afternoon hours, seek shade or air conditioning when possible and drink plenty of fluids to reduce the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.”
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