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More than 100 million Americans are under heat advisories as a record-breaking heat wave settles over the East Coast and stretches across the nation.
The National Weather Service expects that temperatures could reach as high at 111 degrees. The advisories are in effect for large parts of the Midwest and East Coast, with some harsh weather for Mississippi, Georgia, Idaho, Washington, Colorado and New Mexico.
According to the agency, heat is one of the leading causes of death, with hundreds of heat-related deaths annually. Residents in areas under the advisories should reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of day, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, eat cool foods, stay hydrated and spend time in air-conditioned locations.
While some of the advisories are active until this evening, the weather service believes that extreme heat will continue into next week for some areas.
“Confidence is increasing in dangerous, potentially deadly heat, particularly for urban areas in the Southeast and East Coast beginning Monday,” the agency said.
In some parts of the country, officials are expecting the extreme weather to break records. As of Sunday, Seattle has had 10 consecutive days of 80+ degree weather. The current record is 15 days, which occurred in July 2015. Experts are expecting that record to break next week.
Similar records are likely to be broken in North Carolina, where some spots are going to see temperatures reaching up to 111 degrees, the agency reported.
“Daily records dating back to the 1800s will be challenged on multiple days in the coming week as afternoon temperatures hover near the 100-degree mark,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Reneé Duff said.
Mid-July tends to be the hottest time of year for many regions. However, experts noted that the current heat-wave is still above-average for the time of the year.
Forecasters and medical professionals are warning people about the deadly potential of the historic highs. Dr Erick Shessler, of Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital, told WMUR this week that anyone can be impacted by heat-related illness.
Those who work outside, children and older Americans face the biggest risks from high temperatures.
“We’re noticing excessive sweating, you’re getting particularly thirsty. You’re starting to get tired when you don’t expect to, maybe a little bit more winded, maybe nauseous, for example. If we’re starting to see some of those symptoms, we got to be paying attention,” Shessler told the outlet.
Many will head to the beach or pool to cool off, but Schessler said spending too much time in the sun can be problematic.
“Libraries, museums. Sometimes on those really hottest of days, it sounds tempting to go to the beach, but occasionally you want to build in some of those little breaks, get inside, get some AC, get some cooler temperatures for you,” he said.
