Dangerous heat wave to scorch much of U.S. ahead of July Fourth, with historic highs possible
An intense and prolonged heat wave could bring record temperatures to the central and eastern United States ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
Nearly 142 million people were under National Weather Service heat alerts, with that number likely to grow as heat moves toward the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast.
“The latest guidance continues to strongly agree on a potentially historic heatwave across the eastern third of the country for the end of the week,” the weather service said in a forecast discussion Sunday.
The weather service added that Thursday and Friday could face “the possibility of all-time record highs” in places.
Cities including Chicago; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; Savannah, Georgia; Philadelphia; and Boston are under alerts, with daytime highs expected to climb into the 90s and the 100s.
The weather service’s forecast discussion for Kansas City said the stubborn heat could last through the Fourth of July. “We expect to be locked into a hot and dry pattern through at least Thursday, but probably through Saturday,” it said.
As the wave reaches the East midweek, the heat index value could surge past 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Philadelphia and Washington, with Philadelphia feeling as hot as 112 by Thursday.
The weather service office for New York City issued an extreme heat watch for the region that covers Monday through Wednesday. It notes the “feels like” temperature, known as the heat index, is forecast to reach 108.
Factoring in the humidity, heat index values could reach 105 to 114 in other places under the dome through the week.
Highs across the East and Southeast will generally be 5 to 10 degrees above normal as the wave spreads eastward, with a few records possible in Florida’s Key West, Miami, Orlando and Tampa.
Much of the Southwest was already facing highs of around 100.
Fire weather conditions, including continued dry air and gusts up to 30 mph, will persist in much of Arizona, eastern Utah, western Colorado, western New Mexico and parts of southern Wyoming, according to the weather service.
Utah, Colorado and other states in the West have been subjected to large-scale weekend wildfires, including the 93,607-acre Cottonwood Fire, where 1,200 firefighters and support personnel had achieved zero containment by late Sunday afternoon, according to a joint command update. Along the Utah-Colorado border, three firefighters assigned to two other fires were killed on the job Saturday, federal officials said.
A series of cooler air pulses from the west will push the weekend’s dry heat to the east, where it will park over the Tennessee Valley as it expands, federal forecasters said.
Such a high-pressure dome pushes air toward Earth, heating it as it descends.
A cold front from the northern Plains — Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas — could clash with the heat dome to the south, producing thunderstorms in the Mississippi Valley through Monday, the weather service said.
Across the Atlantic, a historic heat wave sweeping Europe has turned deadly. French officials said the country recorded about 1,000 excess deaths during the recent stretch of record-breaking heat.
A study by earth scientists based in the U.S., Australia and China published last year found that “global warming is responsible for long-term increases in the frequency and strength of concurrent heat extremes,” according to a summary.
Christine Rapp is a meteorologist for NBC News.
Dennis RomeroDennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Emma Caughlan contributed.Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
