An “extremely dangerous” heat wave is expected to break daily temperature records across western and southern states over the long weekend, the National Weather Service warned.
The extreme heat comes as 28,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to a raging wildfire in Northern California. The Thompson fire in Oroville, about 65 miles north of Sacramento, had grown to 3,568 acres and was only 7% contained as of Wednesday evening.
In California, southern Nevada and Arizona, temperatures could rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday. Widespread extreme heat warnings are in effect. In Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana, temperatures could even rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heat index, a measure of how warm it feels that takes humidity into account, can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the Lower Mississippi Valley.
In total, more than 100 million people will be under heat warnings on Thursday.
If you are having a Fourth of July celebration, you may want to consider celebrating indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned location.
“If you plan to be outside for an extended period of time on the Fourth of July, use caution and act quickly if you notice any signs of heat-related illness,” the NWS said.
From then on, things only get hotter and more dangerous in the West.
The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures of 110 to 115 degrees in inland California on Friday and Saturday. Parts of the desert in the southwest could reach 120 degrees.
Afternoon temperatures could reach highs of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and low 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northwest and parts of the Great Basin, the weather service said.
According to the weather service, heat levels in the Mojave Desert, Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley “could pose a risk to everyone if proper heat safety precautions are not followed.”
The forecast is for temperatures in Las Vegas to reach 110 degrees on Sunday and 110 degrees on Monday, which is higher than the current record high of 110 degrees.
The service advised people to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of direct sunlight and, if possible, stay in an air-conditioned building.
Records have already been broken: in the city of Livermore, on the eastern edge of California’s Bay Area, temperatures reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, while in San Rafael in Marin County, California, temperatures reached 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Parts of Arizona, Nevada and Texas recently experienced their warmest Junes on record.
Meanwhile, central states could see severe thunderstorms on July 4, with the greatest threat in parts of the Mississippi Valley and Southern Plains. There could be damaging lightning and strong wind gusts.
The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for Kansas City and the surrounding area for Thursday.
Here’s a look at what the radar might look like Thursday afternoon. There is a lot of uncertainty about the timing and strength of storms Thursday. If stronger storms develop, expect strong winds and hail in the afternoon and evening hours. Storms should dissipate after sunset. photo.twitter.com/9DjBzcMRHa
— NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) July 3, 2024
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
