70 million under heat advisories as dome expands across central US

Overnight lows remain too high for recovery

WASHINGTON — Dangerously hot weather is expanding across much of the central United States this weekend and into next week, pushing temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) from Dallas to North Dakota and placing roughly 70 million people under heat advisories, forecasters said.

A heat dome, where atmospheric conditions trap heat over an area, is creating sustained high temperatures and accumulating discomfort, forecasters said. The system is producing temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (5.6 to 8.3 degrees Celsius) above normal, with some records around the Denver area potentially facing breakdown, according to forecasters.

Forecasters said that overnight low temperatures are not expected to drop enough for people to have much chance to recover, allowing heat stress to build as the heat lingers. High humidity will make conditions feel even worse.

The stretch of the country under heat advisories extends from the desert Southwest to the Gulf Coast, reaching up into the Midwest and Great Plains, according to the Associated Press.