Heat warnings remain in effect for about 42 million people on Friday as “dangerous and record-breaking” heat continues across the West through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Scorching temperatures are forecast to remain above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, leading to more record highs in cities including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.
“This prolonged heat wave will remain extremely dangerous and deadly if not taken seriously,” the weather service said in an update Friday. “Dozens of daily record high temperatures are forecast across much of the West through Saturday. Dangerous heat will expand across parts of the central and eastern U.S. by late this weekend.”
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles warned that the “prolonged heat wave” will continue to affect some areas into the coming week.
High temperatures of 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) are expected on Friday in Las Vegas, 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in Salt Lake City and 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Denver.
Authorities say help may be on the way for northwestern Arizona and southern Nevada, where storms are forecast for Friday. weather service field office in las vegas.
Temperatures also remain scorching in southeast Texas, where Beryl made landfall earlier this week as a Category 1 hurricane.
Heat index values in the region will once again reach 100 to 105 degrees. The heat index is what it feels like to the human body when temperature is combined with humidity.
A little According to Poweroutage.us, fewer than 1 million customers in southeast Texas are still without power after the Beryl disaster, and the weather service warned that the heat could become more dangerous as a result.
Heat warnings are in effect Friday for about 42 million people in the West, the Rocky Mountains and southeast Texas.
This weekend, an active storm system will produce multiple rounds of severe storms across the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes through next week.
About 7 million people are at risk for severe storms in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Saturday. Parts of North Dakota and northern Minnesota are again at risk for severe storms on Sunday, with the risk extending to Chicago.
As of Monday, 23 million people are already at risk of all hazards, including in Minneapolis, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago.
About 18 million people are under flood warnings in an area stretching from South Carolina to Massachusetts, including Philadelphia and New York City. The Weather Prediction Center has issued a slight risk of extreme rainfall, level 2 of 4, for parts of southern New England as thunderstorms batter the region this weekend.
Slow-moving tropical downpours will sweep across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Friday. Rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour could cause flash flooding, especially in urban areas, small rivers and roads.