It's Hot This Week, and It Gets Worse Next Week

That applies to virtually all of the US
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 7, 2020 12:43 PM CDT
It's Hot This Week, and It Gets Worse Next Week
Firefighters douse hot spots along Agua Dulce Canyon road in Agua Dulce, Calif.   (David Crane/The Orange County Register via AP)

The heat is on. And for most of America it’ll stay on through the rest of the month and maybe longer, meteorologists say, per the AP. Widespread and prolonged extreme heat is baking the contiguous United States and meteorologists see no relief in sight, except for a brief time in a corner of the Pacific Northwest. Next week is likely to be worse than this week. And the entire Lower 48 states and Alaska are likely to be warmer than normal for the last two weeks of July, traditionally the hottest time of year, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. “It’s very widespread and it’s going to be very long lasting,” said Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground and now a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections. “It’s not a record-breaking heat wave, but it is notable for its persistence.”

This is a dangerous type of heat where people need to be careful about heat stroke, stay indoors and drink plenty of water, meteorologists said. The National Weather Service warned of excessive heat on Tuesday for 18 million people, but that’s nothing compared to what’s coming up. At the end of this week, much of the nation will likely be passing or flirting with temperatures in the 90s. And it will likely feel even hotter in the South. Next week, while close to two-thirds of the country will be warmer than normal, about 40% of the Lower 48 has a moderate risk of extreme and dangerous heat, said Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Matthew Rosencrans.

(More heat wave stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X