The National Weather Service has warned that parts of the United States will heat up to “dangerously high” temperatures of up to 118 degrees.
An intense heatwave is set to hit the country starting today, raising fears of even more heat-related deaths and illnesses.
The NWS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have put together a sobering map showing the impact of high temperatures across the lower 48 states over the next week.
It shows large parts of Washington state, southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as small areas of Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Texas face a risk of “extreme” heat.
States on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Northwest and Great Plains are experiencing “significant” heat risks.
The National Weather Service has warned that parts of the United States will roast in “dangerously hot” conditions of up to 118 degrees.
As the week progresses, the main risk for the East Coast will dissipate, but heat is expected to increase in California and Arizona.
Yellow areas on the map indicate lower risk, orange is moderate, red is higher, and purple areas face extreme heat risks.
The red and purple areas are expected to move southeastward through the week, weakening as they cross Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas before warming again over Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
“There is a high risk of dangerous heat-related illnesses for anyone, especially the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning, and those active outdoors,” the NWS warned.
The NWS combines weather, climate and CDC data to determine the severity of heat impact.
The warnings come after dozens of heat-related deaths across the country, including that of four-month-old Tanna Rae Wroblewski.
An intense heatwave is set to hit the country starting today, raising fears of even more heat-related deaths and illnesses.
As the week progresses, the heightened risk to the East Coast will dissipate, but heat is expected to increase in California and Arizona.
The baby is believed to have died of heat exhaustion after her parents took her boating on an Arizona lake amid a 120-degree extreme heat warning. Detectives are investigating the death.
A six-year-old girl from Florida also died after she was left “locked in her mom’s boyfriend’s sweltering car” while he was at work.
Nine-year-old Logan Cortinez also died while hiking with his family on a trail in South Mountain Park and Preserve near Phoenix when temperatures soared to 113 degrees Fahrenheit last month.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, avoid the sun and check on family and neighbors,” the NWS advised.
‘Do not leave small children or pets in vehicles unattended. Vehicle interiors can reach lethal temperatures within minutes.’
Meanwhile, fFirefighters battling California’s largest wildfire of the year are preparing for dangerous conditions heading into the weekend.
Detectives are investigating the parents of a girl who died after taking her boating on an Arizona lake in 120-degree heat.
A helicopter drops water on the park fire near Butte Meadows, California, on Tuesday.
The Park Fire, which has destroyed at least 480 structures and damaged 47, is one of nearly 100 large fires burning in the western United States.
The expected thunderstorms could unleash fire-sparking lightning and erratic winds that could erode progress made over the past week.
Hot, dry conditions posed similar threats across the fire-affected West.
