An unprecedented heat wave is expected to hit the United States this summer.
According to CBS in the United States on the 28th (local time), the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast that a prolonged bout of heat will arrive across a wide area ahead of Independence Day on July 4.
Meteorological authorities expect high temperatures to persist over the next few days in the lower Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic coast, and along the Mississippi and Ohio river basins.
Eastern coastal cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, as well as Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit, are expected to fall under the heat wave's influence.
Southern cities such as Memphis and Dallas are also expected to see high temperatures.
The heat wave is expected to affect more than half of the U.S. mainland and last through next weekend.
While temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid to upper 30s Celsius, high humidity is expected to push the heat index as high as 46 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and central Texas have already surpassed 37 degrees Celsius.
Weather and disease control authorities are on alert over public health concerns, including the potential for a large number of heat-related illnesses.
Meteorological authorities urged people to limit outdoor activities as temperatures rise, stay indoors with air conditioning or in shaded areas, and drink plenty of fluids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, headaches, and dizziness.