Midwest, South Roast in 100+ Degree Heat

Heat advisories in 22 states today
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 12, 2011 6:54 AM CDT
Heat Wave: Midwest, South Roast in 100+ Degree Heat
A jogger runs by a temperature sign in Lawrence, Kan., Monday, July 11, 2011. A record-setting heat wave smothering residents, crops, and animals is expected for the next seven days, officials said.   (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

It's about as far away from Christmas as we can get, but much of the South and Midwest might feel like they're roasting on an open fire. Heat advisories and warnings were issued yesterday for 17 states, reports the AP; that number increased to 22 states in the lower 48 today, and there's not much relief in sight, Weather.com reports. "It says a lot when you are dealing with such an expansive area of heat alerts," says a National Weather Service spokesman.

Temps today looked to range from the mid-90s to 105 degrees—which may sound like good news to residents of Hutchinson, Kansas, where temps reached 112 on Sunday. In Dallas and Oklahoma City, the mercury has hit 100 degrees for at least 10 days. Couple that with municipal budget cuts that have shuttered many public swimming pools, and it might seem like there's nowhere to run. "You feel like your skin is baking," says one Dallas woman. (More heat wave stories.)

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