Oppressive heat, high humidity grip much of the US as students start a new school year

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A late summer heat wave has gripped much of the United States in a sweaty headlock and forecasters say it won't let go anytime soon.

Roughly 97 million people from the central Plains to the Southeast face heat advisories. Dangerous temperatures are expected in more than a dozen states in the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

Some places could hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius), forecasters said. But the combination of soaring temperatures and high humidity could make it feel as hot as 115 F (46 C) in portions of the Southeast.

That heat dome effect is created by high-pressure systems sitting above a region, trapping heat and humidity closer to the ground.

And there will be little nighttime relief, with overnight lows predicted to remain in the 70s in many places, forecasters said.

“The nighttime lows are not going to get below about 80 Fahrenheit for a lot of urban areas,” said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections. “So that's really going to bump up the mortality from this heat wave. It's going to be deadly because of all these factors: Long lasting, intense, and high humidity.”

People were urged to stay indoors when possible and keep hydrated.

Early days of the heat wave force workers to cope with risks

In Little Rock, Madi Ramos wore a large straw hat as she shoveled an irrigation ditch outside the state Capitol building on Thursday morning when temperatures had already reached 90 F (32 C).

“This heat is stronger than last year’s,” said Ramos, 21, who works with her stepfather at a landscaping company.

The forecast comes after July became the hottest month on record in the contiguous United States. Extreme heat events are increased and exacerbated by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal.

During a July heat wave, Ramos said she felt nauseous and had to pause for a break. One of her colleagues took three days off after falling ill from heat.

Ramos said she usually drinks seven to eight bottles of water that she sometimes mixes with electrolyte packets during her 12-hour outdoor shifts. She’s preparing for this week’s heat wave by wearing breathable clothing.

But sometimes the heat can be too much and, Ramos said, the company encourages her to take breaks.

“When I feel I can’t take it anymore, I take a break and then I come back,” Ramos said in Spanish.

Communities offer residents places to cool off or stay hydrated

When the heat gets oppressive, communities across the country typically offer public libraries, community centers and senior centers as air-conditioned places to cool down. Other places try to make sure residents are hydrated.

Donna Schillinger expected dozens of visitors to WayStation, a resource center in Rogers, Arkansas, as the heat wave lingers. The center had already provided bags filled with food and bottled water to nearly two dozen people by Thursday afternoon. Schillinger, the executive director of nonprofit Micah 6:8, said the center typically sees six people per day for to-go bags.

“Everybody is commenting about how hot it is outside,” Schillinger said. “I mean it’s just crazy hot.”

Heat arrives with a new school year and sports activities in full swing

The heat wave is coinciding with the start of the new school year in much of the country, forcing discussions about how to keep students comfortable on buses, in classrooms and even on school playground equipment.

In some school districts, parents are urged to send bottled water to school with their students. One Central Arkansas district implemented a policy this year mandating that students remain indoors, including during recess, when the heat index reaches 95 F (35 C).

Young athletes and professionals preparing for a new football season also are having to take precautions against overheating.

In South Carolina, where an extreme heat warning was in place, two school districts canceled a series of football scrimmages involving more than a dozen high schools Friday evening due to the forecast.

Nationwide, at least 58 players died from exertional heat stroke between 1992 and 2024, the latest year available, and thousands more are sickened each year, according to the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. Most of the deaths involved younger athletes.

The institute is named after the Minnesota Vikings player who died of heat stroke in 2001, prompting changes in safety protocols.