An extreme heat warning has been issued for approximately 162 million people across 35 US states as a heatwave begins to take hold.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in the southern and interior regions, with the heat index, factoring in high humidity, reaching up to 46 degrees Celsius. Major cities including Boston, New York, Chicago, Washington, and Atlanta are expected to be affected by the heatwave.
Experts pointed out that nighttime temperatures will also remain high, which could increase health risks. It is also forecast that temperature records could be broken in about 100 locations starting July 4.
The Chicago municipality announced that cooling centers will be opened across the city.
Economists warned that heatwaves are no longer temporary events but have become a structural risk threatening the economy.
Meanwhile, the extreme heat that has been affecting Europe for weeks, causing hundreds of deaths in the west, is moving eastward. The highest-level alerts have been issued in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Balkan countries, with authorities calling on the public to stay indoors.
In Slovakia, thermometers reached 40.5 degrees Celsius, breaking the country's all-time high temperature record.