A massive heat dome engulfing the southern US is set to roast seven US states for days as temperatures in some areas soar past 110 degrees.
Over 50 million people living in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas have been placed under extreme heat warnings or heat advisories by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Monday.
Texas is forecasted to be the hardest hit, with Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock, Odessa and El Paso all impacted by the high pressure system blanketing the Southwest.
Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona, San Diego and Los Angeles in California, Shreveport in Louisiana and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma have all been warned of the potentially deadly combination of extreme heat and high humidity lasting until at least 8pm local time tonight.
In California, the heat warnings will remain in effect until Wednesday, and in Arizona, the life-threatening weather is expected to last until Saturday night - extending the risk of residents experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
NWS said in a statement: 'An Extreme Heat Warning means that a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur.'
Temperatures in the Phoenix area are expected to reach between 106 and 118 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoons this week.
In Texas, forecasters are bracing for near-record temperatures that could reach 112F in multiple areas on Monday, affecting roughly 25 million people in that state alone.
This is a breaking story. More details to follow.
A billboard in Phoenix, Arizona records an outdoor temperature of 118 degrees in summer 2023 (File Image)
Extreme heat is expected to affect millions on August 24, with multiple states issuing warning throughout the week. The areas in purple reveal the most extreme emergency
National Weather Service warned that prolonged exposure to these temperatures can quickly trigger heat exhaustion or heat stroke, a potentially fatal condition (Stock Image)
Temperatures in Southern California are expected to surpass 100 degrees throughout Wednesday
