\n<\/p>\n
At least 40 million people were under extreme heat<\/a> warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day.<\/a><\/p>\n Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C), according to the National Weather Service. <\/p>\n Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome<\/a> \u2014 a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s extraordinarily hot,\u201d said Pete Miller, an outreach manager for the homeless services network Threshold CoC, which was passing out water bottles to residents in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of people who are exhausted, drained by the heat in a way that is really dangerous,\u201d Miller added. \u201cThe humidity is insane. You stand outside for 30 seconds and you get drenched. And it\u2019s going to be like that all night.\u201d<\/p>\n On Saturday, Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 C). A horse race planned in Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minnesota, was canceled Sunday because of the heat.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, it\u2019s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,\u201d said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. \u201cThe core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.\u201d<\/p>\n The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday. The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you\u2019ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,\u201d Oravec said. \u201cIt\u2019s all related.\u201d<\/p>\n Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted. <\/p>\n Authorities warned that children and older adults, along with people with certain medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious conditions including heat stroke or even death.<\/a> Experts recommend<\/a> seeking out air conditioning or a cooling center, make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.<\/p>\n Extreme heat events are increased and exacerbated by climate change,<\/a> which comes from the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal.<\/p>\n The continental U.S. endured the second-hottest first half of the year on record in 2026, according tracking of average temperatures by the National Centers for Environmental Information. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n