More than 85 million individuals in the United States are under preemptive alert due to a new heatwave expected in the region. According to the latest bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS), temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius over the weekend, with the heat index potentially reaching 46 degrees Celsius.
Consequently, about 71 million people are under heat alerts, and approximately 16 million remain subject to extreme heat warnings. The NWS warned that prolonged periods of intense thermal stress can result in illnesses, and the agency predicts that high temperatures will expand towards the coast starting Monday.
Projections indicate that by Wednesday, almost 100 million people may be under severe or extreme heat alerts, concentrating mainly in the states of Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida.
The US is experiencing an exceptionally hot summer, characterized by multiple heatwaves. One of the most severe began on the weekend of July 4th—US Independence Day—and caused about 30 deaths.
Additionally, last year's month of July was recorded as the hottest in US history, showing an average temperature close to 25 degrees Celsius across the national territory, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The high temperatures, combined with drought conditions, have also driven the occurrence and spread of wildfires. This year, nearly three million hectares have already been consumed by fire, representing the highest number recorded in the last decade in the US.
