A boy cools off at a fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Home plate umpire Carlos Torres cools off during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A shelf cloud moves into downtown Milwaukee, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Jeffrey Phelps - freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Firefighters extinguish a burning outbuilding as the Point Fire spreads along West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, Calif., on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Noah Berger - freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A boy cools off at a fountain outside Wrigley Field before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals as hot weather dominates the weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A boy cools off at a fountain outside Wrigley Field before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals as hot weather descends upon the Chicago area Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A kid cools off at Gallagher Way park fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kids cool off at Gallagher Way park fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A woman stretches up her hand while laying in a patch of shade with a books at Yards Park, Sunday, June 16, 2024, as temperatures begin to steam up in Washington.
- Jacquelyn Martin - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Surfers catch a wave in Navarre Beach, Fla., Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Kiichiro Sato - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman uses a towel to wipe off sweat as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chris Sander pauses to cool off in front of a fan as he works to get the his Powder Monkey Fireworks stand ready for opening in Weldon Spring, Mo., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers in hot weather work at a Radio Frequency Environment area in Riverwoods, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bidigare Contractors employees work Monday, June 17, 2024, on a water main project in Farmington Hills, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. Workers say they drink lots of water and take frequent breaks when faced with doing their jobs in extreme heat.
- Corey Williams - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man talks on the phone as he covers his head with his jacket during hot weather in Glenview, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Harrison Cartwright enjoys skatesailing during hot weather in Des Plaines, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wyatt Seymore pours the last drops of liquid from a water bottle into his mouth as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman wipes off sweat as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A worker works on the street during hot weather in Mount Prospect, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Six-year-old James Charles Liptak and his dog Rumble keeps cool from the oppressive heat with a walk in the water steps by PNC Park on the North Shore area of Pittsburgh, Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette - member image share, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A woman carries wagon as she walks to Family Aquatic Center at Heritage Park during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A screen displays water price information in front of a drug store during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hunter Van Dyne pauses to wipe sweat from his forehead inside a hot fireworks tent as he works to set up for the opening of Powder Monkey Fireworks, in Weldon Spring, Mo., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman uses a towel to wipe off sweat while sorting boxes of fireworks inside a stiflingly hot trailer at Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Harrison Cartwright enjoys skatesailing during hot weather in Des Plaines, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers take a break during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman, right, uses a towel to wipe off sweat while working with Wyatt Seymore to sort boxes of fireworks inside a stiflingly hot trailer at Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workmen with the Architect of the Capitol office, perform maintenance on the irrigation system in a park near the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Extreme heat is expected to break records for tens of millions of people in the United States this week.
- J. Scott Applewhite - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP
Extreme heat alerts are in effect for tens of millions of people in the United States as cities including Chicago break heat records
A boy cools off at a fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Home plate umpire Carlos Torres cools off during the ninth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A shelf cloud moves into downtown Milwaukee, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Jeffrey Phelps - freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Firefighters extinguish a burning outbuilding as the Point Fire spreads along West Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, Calif., on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Noah Berger - freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A boy cools off at a fountain outside Wrigley Field before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals as hot weather dominates the weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A boy cools off at a fountain outside Wrigley Field before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals as hot weather descends upon the Chicago area Sunday, June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A kid cools off at Gallagher Way park fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kids cool off at Gallagher Way park fountain during hot weather in Chicago, Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A woman stretches up her hand while laying in a patch of shade with a books at Yards Park, Sunday, June 16, 2024, as temperatures begin to steam up in Washington.
- Jacquelyn Martin - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Surfers catch a wave in Navarre Beach, Fla., Sunday, June 16, 2024.
- Kiichiro Sato - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman uses a towel to wipe off sweat as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chris Sander pauses to cool off in front of a fan as he works to get the his Powder Monkey Fireworks stand ready for opening in Weldon Spring, Mo., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers in hot weather work at a Radio Frequency Environment area in Riverwoods, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bidigare Contractors employees work Monday, June 17, 2024, on a water main project in Farmington Hills, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. Workers say they drink lots of water and take frequent breaks when faced with doing their jobs in extreme heat.
- Corey Williams - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man talks on the phone as he covers his head with his jacket during hot weather in Glenview, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Harrison Cartwright enjoys skatesailing during hot weather in Des Plaines, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wyatt Seymore pours the last drops of liquid from a water bottle into his mouth as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman wipes off sweat as he takes a break from unloading a stiflingly hot trailer of fireworks outside Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A worker works on the street during hot weather in Mount Prospect, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Six-year-old James Charles Liptak and his dog Rumble keeps cool from the oppressive heat with a walk in the water steps by PNC Park on the North Shore area of Pittsburgh, Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Lucy Schaly/Post-Gazette - member image share, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A woman carries wagon as she walks to Family Aquatic Center at Heritage Park during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A screen displays water price information in front of a drug store during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hunter Van Dyne pauses to wipe sweat from his forehead inside a hot fireworks tent as he works to set up for the opening of Powder Monkey Fireworks, in Weldon Spring, Mo., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman uses a towel to wipe off sweat while sorting boxes of fireworks inside a stiflingly hot trailer at Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Harrison Cartwright enjoys skatesailing during hot weather in Des Plaines, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers take a break during hot weather in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, June 17, 2024.
- Nam Y. Huh - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ethan Hickman, right, uses a towel to wipe off sweat while working with Wyatt Seymore to sort boxes of fireworks inside a stiflingly hot trailer at Powder Monkey Fireworks ahead of the opening of the stand Monday, June 17, 2024, in Weldon Spring, Mo.
- Jeff Roberson - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workmen with the Architect of the Capitol office, perform maintenance on the irrigation system in a park near the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Extreme heat is expected to break records for tens of millions of people in the United States this week.
- J. Scott Applewhite - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Extreme heat alerts affected tens of millions of people in the United States on Tuesday as cities including Chicago broke records at the start of a week of sweltering weather.
Midwestern states started to bake Monday in what the National Weather Service called a dangerous and long duration heat wave expected to stretch from Iowa to Maine until at least Friday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that she has activated the National Guard to assist in any heat emergencies that develop over the next several days.
“This is a time of significant risk, and we’re doing our best to make sure that all lives are protected,” Hochul said during a morning briefing.
Chicago broke a 1957 temperature record Monday with a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius). Hot and muggy conditions will continue this week with peak heat indexes near 100 F (37.7 C) at times, the National Weather Service in Chicago said in a post on the social platform X.
The heat didn't stop people in Chicago's Grant Park from ordering the hottest dishes off the menu at the food truck where Emmanuel Ramos is a cook, WBBM-TV reported.
“They be ordering the hottest stuff on the hottest day,” he said. “They order ramen, corn — they just want everything hot. I don’t know why,” Ramos said. “Right now, something that would be good is the smoothies.”
Last year, the U.S. saw the most heat waves — abnormally hot weather lasting more than two days — since 1936. Officials warned residents to take precautions.
Much of the Midwest and Northeast were under heat warnings or watches, with officials opening cooling centers and urging people to limit outdoor activities when possible and to check in with family members and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.
The heat has been especially dangerous in recent years in Phoenix, where 645 people died from heat-related causes in 2023, which was a record. Temperatures there hit 112 F (44.4 C) on Saturday. Weather service forecasters say the first two weeks of June in Phoenix were the hottest start to the month on record there.
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix, Ted Whittock, advised reducing time outdoors between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., staying hydrated and wearing light, looser fitting clothing. More than 100 cooling centers were open in the city and surrounding county, including two new overnight ones.
In Southern California, firefighters increased their containment of a large wildfire burning in steep, hard-to-reach areas of mountains north of Los Angeles. But hot, dry, windy weather could challenge their efforts Tuesday. Wildfires also burned in New Mexico, prompting the evacuation of a village of 7,000 people.
The warming temperatures come amid growing concern about the effects of extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity sent a petition Monday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency asking it to recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters.
The agency did not immediately issue a specific response to the petition. A FEMA spokesperson for the western U.S. states said there was nothing that would preclude an emergency declaration for extreme heat but noted that there would need to be an immediate threat to life and safety that local authorities could not respond to.
While much of the U.S. swelters, late-season snow was forecast for the northern Rockies, with parts of Montana and north-central Idaho under a winter storm warning. As much as 20 inches (51 centimeters) was predicted for higher elevations around Glacier National Park.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of tropical moisture was bringing an increasing threat of heavy rain and flash flooding to the central Gulf Coast.
Hurricane season this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory.
Follow AP’s coverage of weather at https://apnews.com/hub/weather
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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