Record Heat Wave to Scorch Drought-Stricken Western, Central US

Summer will be slow to arrive in the East, but much of the rest of the country is about to feel July in May. Forecasters say more than 60 million people across 22 states face highs at or above 90 degrees this week, with around 11 million seeing triple digits. The hottest zone stretches from the Intermountain West through the Plains and into the South, where a "heat dome" linked to a weakened jet stream is setting up, reports the Washington Post. Las Vegas could hit 103 on Monday, Phoenix 109, and areas near Death Valley may spike to 117. Records may fall or be challenged in cities including Fresno, Salt Lake City, Boise, Wichita, and Kansas City.

The timing is especially worrisome in places already parched. Roughly 60% of the contiguous US is in drought, with Colorado and Utah deeply affected and little rain in sight. In the South, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and nearly all of Florida are abnormally dry; a 4,800-acre wildfire is burning in the Everglades. The National Weather Service is urging people working outside to hydrate and find shade, and the New York Times offers up a primer on heat waves and how to survive them. Cooler-than-normal conditions will linger this week from the Midwest to the East Coast, but models point to a warmup there by late weekend, with summerlike heat possible from Chicago to New York.