There appears to be little relief expected for millions of people in the United States record heat or widespread flooding this weekend.
The National Weather Service said Sunday that the heat wave will shift from the mid-Atlantic to parts of the Southeastern and Southern Plains on Monday. Meanwhile, widespread storms will bring the threat of flash flooding, damaging winds and tornadoes for a second day in New England.
Elsewhere, heavy storms and rainfall are forecast. This is what we know:
Heatwave shifts the focus
The record-breaking heat wave that has kept about 15 million people under a heat warning — the National Weather Service’s highest alert level — will shift from the mid-Atlantic to parts of the Southeast and the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday. Temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 90s, while stifling humidity will push the heat index into the low 100s. There will be little relief tonight as temperatures remain in the mid-70s.
“Numerous record-breaking highs are possible,” the National Weather Service said Sunday.
John Minchillo/AP
In the west, temperatures will rise above 100 degrees over Northern Utah and parts of central and southern California.
“We still have an extended heat wave in parts of the Ohio Valley and the Northeast,” said weather service meteorologist Marc Chenard. “We’ll get some relief early in the week, at least in the eastern U.S. and the Northeast, but overall, above-normal temperatures will blanket much of the country even into next week.”
Last year the US experienced the most heat waves since 1936, experts say. An AP analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that excessive heat contributed to more than 2,300 deaths, the most in 45 years of records.
There is still a chance of heavy rain
A system moving eastward will possibly bring heavy rain from New England southeast through the mid-Atlantic to the Upper Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Sunday. The National Weather Service said the storms could bring downpours of more than 2 inches of rain per hour and a threat of flash flooding in some areas.
Forecasters said conditions over New England are “favorable for the threat of damaging winds and some tornadoes.”
Meanwhile, in the Upper Midwest, the National Weather Service forecast there is a chance of severe storms with damaging winds and large hail on Monday.
The region continues to be battered by severe storms and flooding that forced the evacuation of thousands of people in Iowa and South Dakota.
Chris VB/via REUTERS
Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo of Rock Valley, Iowa, said Saturday that a state helicopter was dispatched to help stranded residents but was called off after boats were able to reach them.
“We’ve had so much rain here,” he said. “Last night we had 10 centimeters in an hour and a half. Our soil just can’t handle it anymore.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster for 21 counties in northern Iowa, including Sioux County, which includes Rock Valley. No streets were visible in the local sheriff’s drone video, just roofs and treetops rising above the water.
Sioux County Sheriff via AP
In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem declared a state of emergency after the southeastern part of the state experienced heavy rainfall. The city of Canton, 30 miles southeast of Sioux Falls, received 18 inches of rain.
Flooding also closed state and county highways in southern Minnesota. Windom, a city of about 4,800, received 1.2 inches of rain on top of previous heavy downpours, and the Des Moines River there was at a record high.
Moisture remains present in the southwest
Meanwhile, monsoon-like conditions will continue at least through Monday, with a daily chance of rain and thunderstorms in the Four Corners region.
In New Mexico, warnings of heavy rain and flash flooding prompted officials to order some evacuations, with shelters set up for displaced residents.
In Ruidoso, a mountain town in New Mexico, full-time residents will be allowed to return Monday after being displaced by wildfires, although daily life will not return to normal.
“You’re going to have to bring a week’s worth of food, you’re going to have to bring drinking water,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said on Facebook.
