US braces for crushing heat wave

A man carries his dog on his shoulders to avoid stepping on the hot pavement while waiting to cross an avenue in Mexico City, on June 14, 2024, during a heat wave. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / Agence France-Presse)

WASHINGTON, United States — Vast areas of the central and eastern United States are bracing for a sweltering heat wave next week, with temperatures expected to be unseasonably high for June.

“Temperatures will soar next week from the Midwest to the Northeast, where several dozen record afternoon high and record warm morning lows are set to fall,” the National Weather Service said on social media Friday.

The heat wave is due to start Sunday in the central United States, then spread across the Midwest and Northeast before Tuesday, June 18, and will last most of the week, the weather service said.

READ: Scorching heat wave bakes US as heat index soars past 100°F

“Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths most years. Take it seriously,” it warned.

The capital city of Washington activated its “heat emergency” plan Friday, said Mayor Muriel Bowser, and extreme temperatures were forecast for next week.

Several other major cities will also be affected, from Chicago to New York.