It’s the hottest week of the year for most of the country.
Almost 30 million Americans are under heat advisories on Tuesday, and in some places it’s expected to be the hottest day in almost two years. The most dangerous heat is in Missouri, where the heat index could climb to 110 degrees.
The air temperature in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes is expected to top 90 for the first time since the summer of 2013. On Monday, a 121-year-old record fell in Sault St. Marie, Michigan, when the high reached 92.
But the suffering will be much more widespread. In the South, triple-digit heat index readings are expected on Tuesday as far west as Texas and as far east as Florida.
And in the Northeast, the first official heat wave of the season — three consecutive days of 90 degrees of higher — is all but certain. The Weather Channel is calling for highs of at least 90 for eight days in a row in New York and for nine days in Philadelphia.
The threat of severe weather accompanies the heat in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, which could face hail or even tornadoes.