US Southwest heat wave spreads to Midwest with advisories impacting millions

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Southwest is bracing Monday for yet another week of excessive heat as scorching temperatures begin to spread across the Midwest, with millions of Americans impacted.

The National Weather Service has issued extreme and major heat advisories stretching from southeastern California through nearly all of southern Arizona, with a high potential for thunderstorms across high-terrain areas in Arizona. Northwestern Utah is also facing an excessive heat warning.

Lower-grade heat advisories have been issued for parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and Texas. Triple-digit Fahrenheit temperatures are expected to become common across north and central Texas this week, with heat indices expected to hover around 110-115 Fahrenheit (43-46C), the weather service warned.

"There's no relief in sight with regards to the above normal temperatures and dry conditions across North and Central Texas. Make sure you're staying hydrated as the risk for heat related illnesses remains high," the weather service’s local affiliate said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

In Florida, much of the southern tip of the state is under heat advisories, with Miami-Dade County under an excessive heat warning.

In Nevada, two female hikers were found dead in the Valley of Fire State Park Saturday. The women were seen entering the park by other hikers Saturday morning, but were not seen returning by that afternoon, prompting bystanders to alert authorities, the Nevada State Police said in a statement, according to multiple reports.

A cause of death was not officially released, but temperatures at the park, which lies due northeast of Las Vegas, hit 114F (45C) Saturday afternoon. One body was located on the hiking trail while the other was found in a canyon, authorities said.