(Phoenix) Extreme heat alerts affected tens of millions of people in the United States on Tuesday, as cities like Chicago broke records at the start of a week of sweltering weather.
Midwestern states began baking Monday in what the National Weather Service called a dangerous, long-lasting heat wave that is expected to stretch from Iowa to Maine until at least Friday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that she has activated the National Guard to deal with any heat-related emergencies that arise in the coming days.
“This is a time of significant risk, and we are doing our best to ensure all lives are protected,” Hochul said during a morning briefing.
Chicago broke a temperature record set in 1957 on Monday with a high of 36.1 degrees Celsius. Hot and humid conditions will continue this week, with maximum heat indexes near 37.7°C at times, the National Weather Service in Chicago said in a message posted on the social platform X.
Last year, the United States experienced the most heat waves ― abnormally hot weather that lasts more than two days ― since 1936. Authorities advised residents to take precautions.
Much of the Midwest and Northeast were under heat alerts or watches. Authorities opened cooling centers and urged people to limit outdoor activities if possible and check in on family members and neighbors who might be vulnerable to the heat.
The heat has been particularly dangerous in recent years in Phoenix, where a record 645 people died from heat-related causes in 2023. Temperatures there reached 44.4°C on Saturday. Meteorologists say the first two weeks of June in Phoenix were the hottest start to the month on record in that city.
Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, advised reducing time spent outdoors between 10 and 6 p.m., staying hydrated and wearing light, looser clothing. More than a hundred refreshment centers were open in the surrounding city and county, including two new night centers.
In Southern California, firefighters have increased containment of a large wildfire burning in steep, hard-to-access areas of the mountains north of Los Angeles. But hot, dry and windy weather could jeopardize their efforts on Tuesday. Wildfires also broke out in New Mexico, leading to the evacuation of a village of 7,000 people.
Warming temperatures come amid growing concern about the effects of extreme heat and smoke from wildfires. The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday asking it to recognize extreme heat and smoke from wildfires as major disasters.
The agency did not immediately respond to this petition. A FEMA spokesperson for the western U.S. states said there was no reason not to declare an emergency in the event of extreme heat, but he said there would have to be has an immediate threat to life and safety that local authorities could not respond to.
As much of the United States melts, late-season snow is forecast for the northern Rockies, with parts of Montana and north-central Idaho under a winter storm warning. Up to 20 inches of snow is expected in the highlands around Glacier National Park.
Meanwhile, a new batch of tropical moisture brought a growing threat of heavy rain and flash flooding to the central Gulf Coast.
This year’s hurricane season is expected to be one of the most active in recent memory.
