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About 100 million in U.S. under 'excessive heat' warnings as mercury rises

Triple digits are displayed on a bank marquee in St. Louis, Mo., on July 5. Many parts of the U.S. have seen excessive heat this summer, and forecasters say that some regions will see more in the coming days. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
1 of 4 | Triple digits are displayed on a bank marquee in St. Louis, Mo., on July 5. Many parts of the U.S. have seen excessive heat this summer, and forecasters say that some regions will see more in the coming days. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

July 20 (UPI) -- Dangerously hot conditions across the United States are extending Wednesday into the Northeast with at least one-third of the U.S. population under heat warnings and advisories in more than 20 states, officials said.

The National Weather Service said that roughly 100 million people are under excessive heat warnings and advisories and about 60 million will see triple-digit temperatures over the next week. That includes large portions of the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, lower Ohio Valley and parts of the Tennessee Valley.

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Forecasters said that more heat records across Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas were expected to be broken Wednesday.

Oklahoma recorded a high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to Oklahoma Mesonet.

"This is the first time in our network's history to have 120 sites hit that mark on the same day," Oklahoma Mesonet, a joint academic weather project, said in a tweet.

A map by the National Weather Service shows areas of the U.S. that are expected to see excessive heat beginning on Wednesday. Image courtesy National Weather Service

In Arkansas, Little Rock saw triple-digit temperatures on Tuesday for the tenth day so far this year, the NWS said. In Texas, Fort Worth recorded a high of 109 degrees, and the heat there could be even hotter on Wednesday.

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The NWS says that 265 million people nationwide will experience temperatures above 90 degrees in the coming days, with some of the most intense heat in the southern Plains.

Farther west, the NWS said excessive heat is forecast in central California on Wednesday -- and along the Colorado River in the Southwest on Thursday and Friday.

Many locations in the United States and Europe have seen historic heat this week, which experts say is a reflection of the growing climate crisis. President Joe Biden was set to travel to Massachusetts on Wednesday to announce new executive actions to address climate change.

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