US-WEATHER-CLIMATE-HEAT

A person uses an umbrella to stay cool while walking along the Potomac River during a heatwave in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2026. Tens of millions of Americans sweltered under furnace-like temperatures this week as central and eastern cities hunkered down for a heat wave set to last through the July 4 holiday weekend. Dozens of local temperature records could be broken, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned, with temperatures in many places to surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and high humidity pushing the heat index as high as 115 degrees. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)