A widespread and dangerous heat wave was building across the US on Saturday, with triple-digit highs expected in the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend before spreading east under a dome of high pressure that meteorologists say could trap oppressive temperatures for a week or more. Forecasters advised people to stay hydrated and find places to cool off, warning of temperatures 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal in many areas, including at night—especially bad for people's health because their bodies won't have a chance to recover. The heat dome was expected to affect as much as two-thirds of the continental US, the AP reports.
"The heat doesn't necessarily stop when it's dark out," said Josh Adam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota, where temperatures will surpass 100 until Tuesday, a dramatic spike for a state where summer temperatures are typically in the 80s. The National Weather Service predicted that more than 90 US local temperature records will be tied or broken through Wednesday—with two-thirds of those being overnight heat records. Temperatures were not forecast to drop below 80 at night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa; Galveston, Texas; and Charleston, South Carolina.
The heat dome—formed when high pressure traps hot air while blocking cooling winds and rain—is one of the strongest to affect the Dakotas in 25 years, said Chad Merrill, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. Record triple-digit highs were forecast for the weekend in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. The risk of heat-related illnesses will increase because of high humidity, USA Today reports, even though air temperatures should be somewhat lower than they were over the hot holiday weekend.
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