Jun 17, 2024
Just as a stifling heat dome that brought record temperatures to the US Southwest fades, a new one has formed. This time, it's baking regions across the South and Midwest. It will stretch all the way up the Eastern seaboard.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued heat advisories that began Father’s Day Sunday. They last through the early part of the week for Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. More are likely as a high pressure system settles like a bubble over a wide swath of the country. It'll trap hot, dry air. It will also suppress cooling rain and breezes.
The NWS warned people in St. Louis to plan for extreme heat. “It will feel like 100-105 (Fahrenheit) during the afternoon hours. We aren’t used to this kind of heat yet,” the service posted Sunday on X. Cities like Atlanta and Nashville are also likely to see triple digits this week.
The heat dome will expand north and eastward. As it does, places in the Great Lakes region could reach the mid-90s. A number of spring records could be broken there. Chicago is forecast to hit 99° Monday.
The NWS warns the millions that may be within the heat dome to avoid prolonged outdoor time, drink plenty of fluids, and check in on elderly people, especially those who do not have access to air conditioning.
All that, and it's not even summer yet. The solstice, or first day of summer, arrives Thursday.
Reflect: How has extreme weather, like very high temperatures, affected your daily life and activities?
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