Sweltering Heat Wave Engulfs Much of U.S. as New School Year Begins

A persistent high-pressure ridge is producing a heat dome that blankets the central Plains through the Southeast, leading the National Weather Service to issue heat advisories for roughly 97 million residents. Forecasts call for temperatures up to 100 °F, with humid conditions making the heat index approach 115 °F in parts of the Southeast, and overnight lows expected to remain in the 70s-80s. Meteorologist Jeff Masters warned that the lack of nighttime relief could raise mortality risk.

Outdoor laborers like 21-year-old Madi Ramos in Little Rock report severe fatigue and rely on frequent water breaks, while local nonprofits such as Micah 6:8’s WayStation distribute bottled water and food. Schools are confronting the heat by limiting outdoor activities; a Central Arkansas district mandates indoor recess above a 95 °F heat index, and South Carolina districts have cancelled high-school football scrimmages. The event follows July’s record-breaking temperatures nationwide, underscoring climate-change-linked heat intensification.