Over 100 million Americans have been advised to stay indoors as temperatures continued to soar due to a record-breaking heatwave stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Carolinas.
Until midweek, as many as 107.5 million people will be affected by a heatwave engulfing a large number of states from central Nebraska to West Virginia, north into Wisconsin and south into Mississippi, the National Weather Service said.
Several areas should expect "well above normal to record-breaking temperatures", the weather service said, issuing excessive heat warnings for the region.
"Plan ahead to avoid heat-related illness and check on relatives and neighbours. The heat should break toward the end of the week," the weather service said.
St Louis, Memphis, Minneapolis and Tulsa are among several cities under excessive heat warnings, with temperatures forecast to reach about 38C, along with high humidity that could make the temperature feel almost 43C.
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The excessive heat is caused by an intense high-pressure zone often referred to as a heat dome. The dome, which was centred over the Southwest on Saturday has shifted east.
“A large heat dome will become more expansive over the central states, Midwest and Southeast over the next several days,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski was quoted as saying by US Today.
Several municipalities announced plans to open cooling centres. On Monday, Chicago officials started alerting residents about where they could find relief from the heat and is likely to open six community service centres for the public to cool off.
According to authorities, the city stepped up efforts to respond to extreme heat after more than 700 people, many of them elderly, died in a 1995 heatwave. Three women in a senior housing facility reportedly died during a brief heatwave last month, raising concerns among the locals.
Jackson, Mississippi on Monday baked at 35C. Resident Roger Britt, 67, who ventured to a neighbourhood garden in search of vegetables for dinner said the weather has been more unpredictable in recent years.
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“It was so cold this past winter, so I know it’s going to be a hot summer,” Mr Britt told Associated Press.
The heat is also expected to continue to scorch the southwest and parts of Texas, the weather service said. In a record, the mercury reached 45.5C in Phoenix on Saturday.