According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in many areas are ranging from 32 to 40 degrees Celsius, and the heat index could climb as high as 46 degrees Celsius. By the end of the week, more than 175 million Americans are expected to be living in areas facing high or extreme heat risk, with hundreds of cities likely to break temperature records.
This is one of the most dangerous heatwaves of the summer so far. High temperatures continue day and night, increasing the risk of heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. In response, Chicago and New York have opened cooling centers, deployed mobile cooling stations, distributed free drinking water, and expanded support for vulnerable residents.
The heatwave has coincided with celebrations of the 250th anniversary of US independence and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. Host cities Boston, Philadelphia and Kansas City have all been affected by the extreme temperatures.
“We come from somewhere cool. We’re not used to this heat back home. You know, we’ll put up with it for a couple of hours and then we’ll head to the AC,” a fan shared his experience.
Another spectator said: “We got quite a good seat underneath nice umbrellas. We're going to have to start shuffling along this bench. But yeah, it's okay. I don't reckon I could do more than two, three hours, so hopefully this doesn’t go to extra time.”
