Southeastern U.S. to swelter as temperatures spike above 100 degrees

More than 55 million Americans are predicted to face triple-digit highs this week, and overnight lows could remain in the upper 70s to lower 80s in spots. That will contribute to heat stress that could be dangerous for vulnerable populations. The National Weather Service is calling the combination of heat and humidity “extreme.”

The heat, which was swelling through the Plains and Upper Midwest on Monday, is predicted to peak in the South and Southeast between Wednesday and Saturday, when high temperature records could be threatened between Central Texas and the western Carolinas.

The spiking temperatures could brew fire weather concerns amid a developing “flash drought,” with scant rainfall anticipated to pose a problem for farmers.

The heat Monday was most intense over the center of the country, including Texas, the Plains and the Upper Midwest. In North Dakota, Fargo hit 101 degrees Sunday, tying a record set in 1933, and Grand Forks made it to 100. The city will probably set a record today, too. Grand Forks is predicted to make it to 99 degrees, eclipsing the record of 98 degrees that has stood since 2010.

Aberdeen, S.D., is forecast to snag a 97 degree reading, and Sioux City, Iowa, should lurch to 100. Temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s are likely across most of Oklahoma and Kansas, with readings on either side of 100 degrees for the majority of Texas. Readings in the low- to mid-90s will pepper the South, but records aren’t in the offing — yet.

The core of the heat shifts south and east Tuesday, allowing the northern Plains to settle back into the 80s. Temperatures in the upper 90s are likely in Chicago and Detroit, though. That could break a record in Detroit dating back to 1933.

Most of the Deep South, the South and the Mississippi Valley will peak at about three degrees warmer than Monday’s highs on Tuesday. Nashville and Tupelo, Miss., are predicted to hit 99 degrees. Atlanta could see a high of 98 degrees, while Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., are forecast to peak at about 97.

Record-breaking heat to come

On Wednesday, the worst of the heat wafts into the Southeast, accompanied by stifling humidity. The worst off will be Alabama, South Carolina and especially Georgia. That’s where highs in a few locales could top 105 degrees, with heat indexes pushing 110.

The hottest spots Wednesday in Georgia will be around Macon and Albany, both anticipated to hit 104 degrees. In Macon, that would beat out…