Brutal storms forecast for north-east US as south battles unrelenting heat

As the US braces for another week of brutal heat in the south, the north-east is set to be hit by a wave of dangerous storms.

Triple-digit temperatures are persisting in the south of the US, from Arizona to Florida, with heat indexes as high as 115F as the heatwave affects more than 65 million Americans.

Extreme heat advisories remain active in cities like Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Orlando.

“The oppressive daytime heat, limited overnight cooling, and widespread record warm nighttime lows will pose a significant health risk to anyone, especially those without effective cooling and adequate hydration,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Meanwhile, the north-east of the US is preparing for the threat of rare and unusually dangerous thunderstorms.

The NWS Storm Prediction Center declared a rare moderate level 4 out of 5 risk of severe storms in parts of the midwest and along the east coast, potentially affecting up to 120 million people.

“A severe weather outbreak is possible … with widespread damaging winds, locally destructive, and isolated tornadoes,” the service said.

The NWS warns there are currently five tornado watches and two severe thunderstorm watches in effect.

The states at risk are Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, as well as Washington DC.

Federal government offices in Washington DC closed early, at 3pm, ahead of the storms.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled departing from the Hartsfield-Jackson international airport in Atlanta, the US’s busiest airport.

The extreme weather could leave behind destructive winds, hail, heavy rain and flooding in its wake.

This summer has seen particularly rare weather patterns of oppressive heat, wildfires, severe storms and tornadoes. Climate scientists warn of more frequent and more severe weather as a result of the climate crisis.