Millions Under Heat Warnings as US Heat Wave Persists

A dangerous and expansive heat wave continued to grip the central and southern United States on Sunday, July 26, 2026, placing tens of millions of people under extreme heat warnings for a second consecutive day. The National Weather Service attributed the sweltering conditions to a heat dome, an atmospheric pattern that traps and prolongs high temperatures, with heat index values soaring well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Minnesota to Mississippi and extending west into southern California and Nevada.

Meteorologists reported that at least 40 million people were under warnings, with parts of the Southwest forecast to see highs reaching 120 degrees. The heat has already broken records; Rapid City, South Dakota, set an all-time high temperature of 112 degrees on Saturday. The dangerous conditions forced the cancellation of a horse race at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, on Sunday.

Beyond the heat, the weather system is spawning additional hazards. The National Weather Service warned that severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds as the primary threat, could develop in affected regions, including around the Great Lakes, raising the risk of flash flooding, hail, and power...