26 states still sizzle under heat alerts but relief near for 150 million
As the temperature drops in the north, the FOX Forecast Center predicts that the number of people experiencing above-average temperatures will decrease to under 200 million Sunday, and dropping below 100 million by Tuesday.
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Good news for many Americans tired of sweating through above average heat these past several days as relief from the heat is on the horizon.
More 250 million have been baking in above-average temperatures. As the temperature drops in the north, the FOX Forecast Center predicts that the number of people experiencing above-average temperatures will decrease to under 200 million Sunday, and dropping below 100 million by Tuesday.
Even more significant, less than 1 million will have temperatures at least 10 degrees higher than the average by Sunday though that number will drift back to about 5-7 million early next week, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Currently, heat alerts are touching more than two dozen states as dangerous heat materializes over the Plains and East Coast.
As July comes to a close Monday, it will soon make history as the hottest month on record for the planet, partially fueled by relentless heat waves over North America.
The FOX Forecast Center said 222 daily record highs have been set this month, stretching across 76 major reporting cities.
Deadly heat shifts to southern states
The orientation of heat is expected to shift this weekend and into early next week as an upper-level ridge will amplify over the Central Plains. It will result in the continuation of hot weather over the central U.S., with heat index readings still crossing well above 100 degrees
In addition to the hot daytime highs, nighttime lows are also expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above average, with the potential for several warm nighttime low records to be broken.
Some areas may not see their heat indices drop below 80 degrees overnight.
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Visitors cool themselves off at the fountain of the World War II Memorial on July 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. Extreme heat is forecasted in the DC area thru Saturday with a heat index reaching up to 110 degrees. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)
Excessive Heat Advisories and Warnings are in effect over the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, lower Great Lakes and much of the Great Plains again Saturday.
Americans that are under heat-related advisories and warnings should be extra cautious as this heat wave will be the hottest stretch of summer so far for many.
But by Monday, a cold front will take some of the heat edge off the northern states, with high temperatures dropping back into the 80s. No such luck for those in the southern Plains and Gulf Coast.
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WMO: First 3 weeks of July warmest 3-week period in global history
The World Meteorological Organization said globally, the first three weeks of July have been the warmest three-week period on record. The month is on track to be the hottest July and the hottest month on record.
Yemichael Abebe uses an umbrella to take shelter from the sun while waiting for a bus on July 27, 2023 in Takoma Park, Maryland. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post / Getty Images)
"These temperatures have been related to heatwaves in large parts of North America, Asia and Europe, which along with wildfires in countries including Canada and Greece, have had major impacts on people’s health, the environment and economies," the agency said.
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This comes following on the heels of the hottest June on record. According to data, the previous hottest July and month on record was July 2019.
Several killed from heat-related causes this summer
The extreme heat has claimed several lives this summer, including at least two people inside Death Valley National Park in California. In Phoenix's Maricopa County, Arizona, officials said at least 25 deaths have been reported since the start of the summer. Of those, 18 have been caused by the heat and seven were categorized as "heat-related."
Earlier this month, a 10-month-old was left alone in a hot car in Florida and died. This year 14 people have died in hot cars, 6 were in Florida.
Several people have also died in Texas since June due to the extreme heat. The Nevada Health District reports at least 15 dead so far.