WASHINGTON, U.S.A. - A record-breaking heatwave has hit the US with temperatures approaching 40°C, leaving up to 24 dead. Around half of the population, some 150 million, have been put on alert over the "dangerous" heat, which has been so intense it has melted roads.Fifty-five major cities have experienced record temperatures, combining with humidity to create an unbearable steam room effect. Forecasters warn it is set to feel as hot as 46°C over the weekend.
At Dulles Airport in Washington DC, the combined heat and humidity index, or "feels like" temperature, was expected to hit 49°C. And in New York, even overnight temperatures have been as high as 29°C.- The heat dome currently sitting over two dozen states in the eastern and central US has been in place for most of the week and is not expected to move until tomorrow at the earliest. Residents and tourists have been advised not to go outside during the hottest part of the day and to drink water regularly.
Just one hour outside in the heat could result in a loss of more than 1lb of fluid through sweat, doctors have warned. Hospitals are struggling to cope, with reports of patients stacked up in corridors. Up to 20 per cent of the surge is said to be due to a rise in heat-related cases.Among the dead have been a three-year-old boy in Oklahoma. In neighboring Missouri 13 were killed by the heat and three elderly people were found dead in separate homes in Kansas.
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