Heat dome could break 90 records across the US in next 2 days

Another week of blistering heat will bring even more health risks in the coming days, as overnight temperatures won’t provide much relief.The National Weather Service is predicting that more than 90 temperature records across the US will be tied or broken this week through Wednesday, and most of those will be overnight heat records.Health experts say overnight temperatures that fail to cool down are even more dangerous than daytime temperatures that soar.It has already been a sweltering start to the summer across much of the U.S.due to the long-lasting heat dome expected to blanket much of the country this week.

The blistering temperatures over the past few weeks have caused heat-related deaths in New Jersey and helped fuel wildfires in the West.Temperatures were not forecast to drop below 80 F (27 C) at night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; Tampa, Florida; Galveston, Texas; and Charleston, South Carolina, the National Weather Service said.Over the next few days, places in the Midwest and Northeast known for frigid winters will see nighttime temperatures remain above 70 F (21 C), including Fargo, North Dakota; International Falls, Minnesota; and Portland, Maine.Health experts say that high overnight temperatures are particularly dangerous because there’s no time for the body’s core temperature to cool down and recover from daytime heat.“That’s where the health outcomes are amplified, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable communities,” said University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd.Just a few degrees of increased body temperature can lead to heatstroke or put too much strain on the heart.If temperatures at night don’t cool down your body, the health risks more often show up the next day, said Kristie Ebi, a public health and climate scientist at the University of Washington.“Mortality starts the second or third day” because the body’s unable to cool, she said on Monday.Early warning signs include heavy sw...