At Least 25 Die as Deadly Heatwave Grips United States

At least 25 people have died across the United States after an intense heatwave swept through the country over the past week, while nearly 40 million people remain under extreme heat alerts across parts of the East Coast, Southeast, and Southwest.

According to NBC News, citing state and local officials, New Jersey has recorded the highest number of suspected heat-related deaths, with 22 fatalities under investigation. Illinois reported one heat-related death, while two more fatalities were confirmed in Mississippi.

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) has also warned that parts of the East Coast could face severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding through Monday. Around 34 million people—from Delaware to Connecticut, including New York City—remain under flood alerts, with forecasters warning that rainfall could reach up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) in some areas.

The severe weather has triggered widespread power outages across several eastern states, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity as extreme heat continues to affect the region.

The National Weather Service said the combination of high temperatures and humidity could push the heat index, or "feels-like" temperature, to between 37.7°C and 40.5°C in cities including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Forecasters expect temperatures across much of the East Coast to ease somewhat by the middle of the week. However, dangerous heat is forecast to persist in other parts of the country.

In California and Arizona, cities such as Phoenix and Tucson are expected to experience extreme temperatures between Tuesday and Thursday, with daytime highs reaching as much as 45.5°C.

Meanwhile, the New York City Department of Health reported that more than 378 people have sought treatment in hospital emergency departments for heat-related illnesses since the heatwave began.