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About 200 million Americans are once again baking as the latest heat wave slammed the Midwest and throughout the Northeast and New England.
Heat advisories were issued Tuesday throughout those areas. Detroit, for example, was forecast to top its all-time record of 101 degrees set in 1887 -- and feel like 110, NBC affiliate ClickOnDetroit.com reported.
New York City could reach 95 degrees but feel like 105 on Tuesday.
"The jet stream has been way up to the north in the midsection of the country," TODAY meteorologist Al Roker said Tuesday. It's being kept there by what's called an upper-level ridge, and that's keeping that section of the U.S. very warm, he added.
The jet stream will drop a bit farther south next week but overall the ridge trapping heat will continue into next week, dire news for drought-hit farmers and ranchers. "There's no relief in sight for at least the next week from drought," Roker said.
The heat-trapping ridge will also "stretch out" to the west over the next week, Roker added.
Storms will bring some relief to the upper Midwest, but not enough to put a dent in the drought.
In Chicago, the cool front should move in Tuesday night after two days around 100. Last week, the city saw three straight days of triple-digit temperatures -- and a Lake Michigan with 80-degree water along the beaches.
In New York City, the heat wave will break by Wednesday evening with the arrival of strong thunderstorms.
New York is in its fourth heat wave of the summer, NBCNewYork.com reported Tuesday, and Central Park has already hit 90 degrees or higher 12 times this summer -- nearly the 15 days it averages for an entire summer.
On the upside, there's still a long way to go to break Central Park's record of 39 days, set in 1993 and 1991.
Newark, N.J., has seen 18 days at 90 degrees or higher; LaGuardia Airport 17, NBCNewYork.com added.
Chicago has had it even worse: 27 days above 90 -- on track to top its record for a summer, 47 days in the 90s in 1988, WBBM-TV reported.
Washington, D.C., has had 25 days above 90 -- way ahead of its 16-17 days for this time of year, NBCWashington.com reported.
Besides scores of cities reporting record daily highs this month, several have also posted record temperatures for any day in July. Among them, reported The Weather Channel's Eric Fisher, are Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
Boston is expected to join that list on Tuesday. Its July record is 98 but Tuesday's forecast is for 99 degrees, which would also be the city's hottest day of the year, NBC affiliate WHDH-TV reported.
Considering the massive drought conditions across the United States with crop failures, especially in corn and soy and farmers reporting hay fields drying up into straw, plus vegatable crops wilting in hot dry conditions, I have as of yet, come across any report, issuing an emergency plea for "water rationing" or any type of water conservation? Why is that?
In years past, even mild drought conditions brought sanctions in State and Local declarations to conserve the use of water with heavy fines for washing your car, watering lawns or filling private swimming pools, etc. Even to the point, of the local utilities issuing ads on TV and radio stations to check inside plumbing for leaks and dripping faucets. Yet, streams are drying up, lakes have receded and reserviors that supply local drinking water are exceeding low. Yet, not one word, from local or state officials in charge of over seeing this precious commodity? And I still what to know, why is that?
Is the "silence" due in part, if not the main objective, that the fracking gas well process - of just one well - takes approximently "a hundred thousand gallions per day" out of our streams and lakes alone, multiplied by hundreds of wells in a given area? While the process of fracking also contaminates the ground water in the area of each well, rendering any future consumption for human and enviromental life, null and void?
Would the declaration of "water rationing" in our current drought conditions, shut down the gas fracking process across the States and Counties affected - more than half of the US?