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The massive central U.S. heat wave is expanding and could set hundreds of records

Heat indexes continue to approach 130 in spots as 100-degree temperatures cover much of the Midwest, Plains and South

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Updated August 22, 2023 at 12:37 p.m. EDT|Published August 22, 2023 at 12:36 p.m. EDT
Heat alerts cover much of the Central United States. (National Weather Service)
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Nearly 150 million people are under heat alerts Tuesday and through the midweek, as the Midwest’s most significant heat wave in years heads toward its peak and the South continues to roast as it has much of the summer.

Excessive heat warnings are in effect for portions of 16 states from Minnesota to Louisiana. Cities under warning include Minneapolis, Omaha, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Little Rock, St. Louis and Chicago, among many others. Heat indexes — what the temperature feels like when air temperature is combined with relative humidity — in these areas are expected to rise as high as 110 or 120 degrees, with some locations approaching a 130-degree heat index Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.