Record-Breaking Heat Wave Hits 4 States: ‘Dangerous’

Extreme heat is targeting several states across the Midwest this week, with meteorologists warning of its dangerous impacts.
The high heat follows a cold front that lasted several days last week, plummeting temperatures to those more commonly associated with fall weather. However, summer has returned for the Midwest, with the heat wave primarily focused on Iowa. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) HeatRisk, a tool that predicts 24-hour heat-related impacts, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska can also expect extreme heat.
However, NWS meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook told Newsweek that the worst impacts are expected on Monday afternoon across portions of Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.
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The NWS describes extreme heat as “rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief [that] affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.” Extreme heat is the highest impact forecast by the NWS HeatRisk.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center warned of those impacts in a Sunday post on X, formerly Twitter.
“A dangerous late August heat wave will expand over the Midwest early this week before building into the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast by mid-week,” the NWS Weather Prediction Center posted. “Heat indices of 105-115 and lows in the mid/upper 70s will bring a heightened risk of heat-related illness.”
Meteorologists also said the heat threatened to break daily record highs across the most impacted states. Robinson Cook noted that, in some cases, temperatures could be as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
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Robinson Cook added that the heat wave will shift further east into Illinois and Ohio by Tuesday, impacting the mid-Atlantic and the Ohio River Valley by Wednesday.
“We are in a pattern where there’s a heat ridge aloft focused over the central U.S.,” he said. “What that tends to do is steer storm systems around the ridge.”
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North Dakota and South Dakota could see a chance for thunderstorms, but storm systems will likely stay away from states experiencing the worst heat.
The heat plaguing the Midwest will fully dissipate by the weekend.
As of Monday, excessive heat warnings and heat advisories were in place across much of the Midwest.
“Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” one NWS office warned. “Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”
The NWS office in La Crosse, Wisconsin, also warned of the impacts.
“Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes,” the office said.