US heat wave: High temperatures paired with high humidity is likely to affect millions of Americans through the end of July – صحيفة الصوت

In Arizona, officials in Maricopa County, reported that at least 29 people died from heat-related issues since March — the majority of whom were outdoors. It compares with 16 reported deaths during the same period in 2021, the county’s public health department said. Dozens of other deaths are under investigation in the county for heat-related causes.

The dangerous temperatures have pushed state and local leaders to issue heat emergencies and offer resources to vulnerable residents. They are imploring residents to stay hydrated and limit time outdoors as much as possible.

The extreme heat in the US has also been mirrored in the deadly condition in Europe, where records have been shattered and the European Forest Fire Information System put 19 European countries on “extreme danger” alerts for wildfires.

Grim weekend ahead

More than 85% of the population — or 275 million Americans — could see high temperatures above 90 degrees over the next week. And at least 60 million people could see high temperatures at or above 100 degrees over the next seven days.

Heat index values — the temperature it feels like when heat is combined with humidity — could top 100 degrees in a number of states through this weekend, particularly in the Midwest, the Southeast and on the East Coast.

The south-central region can expect to see high temperatures in the triple digits every day between Sunday and next Thursday, the prediction center noted.

Daytime temperatures could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit across much of the Southwest, with some areas exceeding 110 degrees, according to the center.

“Overnight lows are likely to remain in the 80s in many spots, providing little nighttime relief,” the center wrote.

High temperatures also threaten livestock

As the high temperatures continue to oppress much of the country, officials are also faced with protecting farmers and their livestock.

In Missouri, the governor declared drought emergency in 53 of the state’s more than 100 counties to allow farmers to use water from state parks. Officials are also considering use the parks to grow hay to help feed the farmers’ animals.

The situation in Texas is so dire that ranchers are running out of water — forcing them to sell their cattle at a rate not seen in more than a decade, according to David Anderson, a livestock economist at Texas A&M University.

The dry, hot conditions are essentially causing grass to die off, severely thinning the pastures where cattle graze, which leaves many ranchers no choice but to send cattle they can’t feed to slaughter.

“A lot of ranchers rely on ponds and tanks that capture rainfall,” Anderson said. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about ranchers running out of water.”