US heat wave puts 47 million under warnings as camps and events shut

A severe heat wave has put millions across the US Midwest and Ohio Valley under alerts. Officials are cancelling outdoor events, opening cooling centres and warning of broader risks as the heat spreads east.

In Short

• Heat index values are expected to cross 100 degrees Fahrenheit across areas
• Another 56 million Americans face extreme heat watch later this week
• Universities and local organisers shifted classes, markets and screenings indoors

Tens of millions of people across parts of the US Midwest and the Ohio Valley were under heat alerts on Monday as a severe heat wave led to cancellations of summer camps and other outdoor activities, while communities opened cooling centres and urged people to stay hydrated and avoid exertion. The hot and humid weather is expected to spread east later this week, with some areas likely to see record-high temperatures.

According to the National Weather Service, 47 million people across large parts of the Midwest and parts of the Ohio Valley are under an extreme heat warning through at least Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to rise into the 90s, while heat index values, or "feels-like" temperatures, are expected to cross 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). Another 56 million Americans are under an extreme heat watch as the worst conditions are expected by Thursday and Friday in the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.

Scott Kleebauer, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said some places could record their highest temperatures. He said the centre recommends that people stay hydrated and make sure they have access to shade and air conditioning.

Cities and event planners had already begun changing plans on Monday for events later in the week. These included a farmer's market due on Tuesday in DeWitt, Michigan, a film screening on Wednesday in Fairfield, Ohio, and a food truck festival on Thursday in Warwick, New York. The heat wave is also likely to overlap with the Fourth of July holiday weekend, adding to the risk as more people spend time outdoors for cookouts or fireworks during the 250th anniversary of American independence.

In Des Moines, Rachel Washburn, who was visiting with family, looked for activities for her children during the heat wave and took them to a water sprayground before lunch on Monday. "My kids were quite shocked at the heat and humidity," said Washburn, whose seven children, aged 18 months to 17 years, were used to milder weather farther north in Bemidji, Minnesota. "We were hoping for some good weather, but we'll make do."

Emergency workers in Nashville were out on Monday offering water and checking on people during the hottest part of the day. Mike Russell, a captain at the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, said he noticed many empty areas where people usually sleep outside, which he said was a good sign that they had found somewhere cooler. Logan King, 29, came with a cart to collect cold water and snacks at a wooded patch behind a Walmart where he and others sleep outside. "It's just miserable honestly, but this helps so much," King said. "Even with the shade and a tent ... it gets hot."

Doctors also warned that the first heat wave of the year can catch people by surprise. Dr Roy Elrod, chief of staff at DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, said, "You're happy winter's gone, you're ready to enjoy the summer, you've just been aching for it. And so, I think we slip into kind of a position where we think it's got to be OK." He said heat-related injuries can happen within minutes, especially if people do not prepare by drinking enough water, wearing light clothing, avoiding the hottest part of the day and limiting time in the sun.

The heat also affected institutions and daily routines. The University of Wisconsin-Madison said it would close 23 buildings to the public from Tuesday and allow only limited access to 11 others. It was also moving some summer classes after a broken water line at its cooling plant earlier this month sharply reduced air-conditioning capacity across the campus. Even so, temperatures near 90 degrees and high humidity did not stop Toni Kreutzer, 28, from taking a walk along the shore of Lake Mendota in Madison with her 13-year-old dog Chester. "I like it hot," Kreutzer said. "I just don't like the humidity."

Extreme heat has also taken a toll in Europe, where temperature records were set and many heat-related deaths were reported in France. As the hot weather spreads across more parts of the US this week, authorities and residents are adjusting plans, seeking relief and being urged to take precautions against the dangerous conditions.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends