July 02, 2026
Record-breaking temperatures spread to the eastern US from the Midwest on Wednesday, putting tens of millions of people under heat warnings expected to last into the Jul 4 holiday weekend, when Americans will celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary.
The extreme heat was expected to push "real-feel" temperatures to 37.8 to 46.1 degrees Celsius across much of the region, elevating the risk of heat-related illness for vulnerable populations and threatening to overwhelm power grids already strained by rising consumption from data centres and electric vehicles.
In Hill City, Kansas, a tiny high plains town 434.523 km east of Denver, mail carrier Sabrina Hooper was struggling with the 100-plus-degree temperatures just one week after starting her job.
"It's completely debilitating," said Hooper, 34, of the heat's effect on her work, which entails walking up to 16.1 km each day to deliver parcels. She said she gets some relief from lawn sprinklers: "It's so nice. You can take your hat off, get it wet, slap it back on your head."
