Heat Alert: Over 70 Million Americans at Risk of High Temperatures Until Late Week

Over 70 million Americans from the Great Plains, Great Lakes, Northeast, and to the Pacific Northwest in the United States are under heat alerts this week, according to US weather authorities. The alerts are either in the form of heat advisories or excessive heat warnings, which highlight the ongoing threat of another extreme weather, which can lead to heat-related illnesses or even death.

In line with the latest heat forecast, temperatures can reach above 90 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The assessment is based on similar weather events in previous months. Since June, a series of heat wave or heat dome shattered decades-long records of all-time high temperatures in some cities and towns. Heat-related deaths have also been reported during the said period.

Moreover, the authorities also said over 12 million Americans are under flood watches in other parts of the country. This means there is a high chance that flash flooding due to heavy rain can occur any time with or without warning. Areas at risk include the recent flood-ravaged Eastern Kentucky where a new round of inclement weather has been forecasted this week.

Since June, there have been no hurricane-related incidents in the North American country, even after the onset of the Atlantic hurricane season, which lasts until November. Instead, the US has witnessed a combination of wet weather, severe thunderstorm, and extreme heat. Still, long-range forecasts show this could all change in favor of Atlantic hurricane formations from August 15.

Heat Alerts and Flood Watches

Almost 73 million individuals are under "heat-related products" in the mentioned regions, according to the Twitter post of the National Weather Service (NWS) on Sunday, August 7.

In the tweet, the NWS highlights the following weather alerts, including the ones mentioned earlier, for heat and flooding have been issued:

• flood warning
• excessive heat warning
• red flag warning
• heat advisory
• flood advisory
• rip current statement
• small craft advisory
• dense fog advisory
• wind advisory
• blowing dust advisory
• beach hazards statement
• flood watch
• fire weather watch

Some of the alerts affect a wide-range of population centers ranging from thousands to the millions.

Hotspot Areas

Heat advisories consist of the largest number of affected population area of approximately 72.3 million in the Northwest, Central, and Northeast US.

In addition, 14 million are under flood watches, with the Upper Mississippi Valley being the most susceptible.

Areas from Seattle, Washington; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and to New York City, New York will receive the blow from the high temperatures or torrential rainfall, as cited by CNN.

Atlantic Hurricane Season

The NWS and other US weather authorities are still monitoring the Atlantic hurricane season, even if the mentioned adverse weather conditions have dominated the landscape for several weeks and months.

According to ABC 7 News, government forecasters said the season will still likely to be busier than normal amidst a relatively quitter hurricane period than predictions initially projected.

In contrast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even adjusted its prediction of above-average hurricane season towards normalcy, as cited by the US media outlet.