The late July heat wave covering the eastern U.S. could affect as many as 190 million people, according to the National Weather Service.
Government forecasters predict people living in the lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys, and then over and along most of the Eastern Seaboard, will be dealing with dangerously hot weather through Wednesday. Extreme heat warnings and heat advisories stretch across those areas.
There should be some relief toward the end of the week with the heat wave expected to weaken in the northern areas on Thursday, and then also weaken over the rest of the region through the weekend.
Jacksonville, Florida, is among the metropolitan areas expected to be most affected by the heat. The city is facing predictions of near-record high temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees.
High humidity will push the "feels like" heat index to the 108-15 degree range, prompting extreme heat warnings that also cover most of northeast and north central Florida and into portions of southeast Georgia.
Other communities outside that area may also experience localized and dangerously high heat.
Cities as far west and inland as Nashville, Tennessee, will be hit by the heat wave through midweek. Forecasters say the area around Nashville will experience high temperature readings that are expected to push into the mid- to upper 90s with afternoon heat index values reaching 100 to 110 and potentially higher.
Other party of the country are looking at the potential of strong storms and flash flooding. Those conditions are expected into early Wednesday from the northern and central Plains into the mid Mississippi Valley. Then, as the front moves east, it will bring more heavy rain and flash flooding on Thursday from southern New England into the mid-Atlantic.
This has been a predictable set of weather conditions. Weather service forecasters began warning of the developing situation on Saturday, indicating millions of Americans were looking at a "prolonged and very dangerous hazardous heat wave."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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