Historic Heat Wave Marches On as Drought Expands Much of the
U.S. continues to be in the grip of unrelenting and dangerous
heat, and the records just keep falling. During June alone, more
than 3,200 daily high temperature records were set or tied, and
more records have been set during the first week of July as
well. Heat warnings, watches, and advisories were in effect for
more than two dozen states as of midday Thursday, stretching
from Nebraska to New Jersey. The heat wave is also exacerbating
a growing drought problem in the nation’s heartland and
throughout the West, threatening crops, and fueling wildfires.
Cities that set or tied their records for the hottest Fourth of
July include Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. In
St. Louis, which reached a sizzling 105°F on Wednesday and is
forecast to reach 104°F today, the eight-day string of 100°F
high temperatuers qualifies as its third-longest streak of
triple-digit heat on record, tying the Dust Bowl-era of 1936.
According to the National Weather