More than 130 million people brace for sweltering conditions across most of the US

More than 130 million people across most of the United States are on alert for widespread, dangerous heat on Sunday and into the new work week, and parts of the Southeast coast could experience the brunt of the sweltering conditions.

The highest temperatures on Sunday will be focused between Savannah, Georgia, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, where extreme heat warnings are in effect as heat indices — that is, what the temperatures feel like when humidity is factored in — are forecast to be between 108 and 116 degrees.

Extreme heat is also expected to continue on Sunday in the Midwest, where temperatures will feel between 97 to 111 degrees from Lincoln, Nebraska, up into Minneapolis.

Charleston, West Virginia, and St. Louis, Missouri, are in store for hot and sticky weather on Sunday, with both cities under extreme heat warnings for feels-like temperatures between 102 and 112.

Elsewhere, heat advisories have been issued for Dallas, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Indianapolis, Indiana; Tampa, Florida; Little Rock, Arkansas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Washington, D.C. Heat indices in those cities are forecast to range from the 90s up to 110 degrees.

Looking ahead to the work week, heat advisories are expected to be in effect on Monday and Tuesday for parts of the I-95 corridor from Boston down to New York City and are forecast to stretch into Tuesday, with heat indices expected in the mid-90s to 105 degrees.

The potentially life-threatening heat and humidity are expected to continue across the eastern half of the country through Wednesday. Major cities including St. Louis, Memphis, Charlotte, Savannah, Tampa, and Jackson, Mississippi, are all likely all see actual temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s. A prolonged heat wave is forecast for those regions as an abundance of tropical moisture settling in is expected to drive the feels-like temperatures up to between 105 to 115 degrees over multiple consecutive days.

Nighttime and early mornings are not expected to provide relief from the sweltering conditions. Overnight and early morning lows are expected to fall only to the 70s or higher.

Between Monday and Wednesday, large portions of the Southeast are expected to be under an extreme heat risk at a four-out-of-four level, including the cities of Atlanta, Charlotte, and Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida.

Meanwhile, severe storms are expected to produce heavy rains in areas of the upper Midwest on Sunday. Storms that struck the region overnight continued Sunday morning, prompting severe thunderstorm watches from North Dakota to northern Minnesota, and the potential for scattered large hail and damaging winds of up to 70 mph.

Later on Sunday, more severe storms are possible for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.