According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are rising to dangerous levels from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California, bringing a number of record-breaking highs of up to 50 degrees higher than average temps in multiple states and British Columbia. Temperatures are already soaring to historic highs in Washington, Oregon, and California and are expected to continue increasing through the end of this week.

The NWS predicts historical highs in interior states, including Montana and Idaho, as of Tuesday and Wednesday. Southeast Idaho, for example, is currently under an excessive heat warning through July 1, with temps expected to soar as high as 107 degrees. The northeastern United States will also be seeing high temperatures, according to CNN, with highs approaching seasonal records.

Experts say climate change is increasing overall hot days in the country every year, but this summer's heat is particularly extreme. In part, many experts blame this week's sweltering temps on a heat dome, or high-pressure area sitting above the Pacific Northwest. The heat dome is located in an area that also has lower pressure, which, according to Axios, causes air to compress and increases temperatures. Here's what you need to know to stay as safe as possible during this time. 

What are the dangers associated with heat waves?

Hot weather can take a major toll on health, and in some cases, even lead to death — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat causes more weather-related deaths in the United States than any other weather event combined. The risk for heat-related emergencies is especially high for the elderly, pets, and people with chronic illness, but exposure to prolonged, hot weather can increase anyone's core temperature, leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke, which can lead to brain, heart, or kidney failure and tissue damage.

While it's only natural to want to spend time outside on a warm, sunny day — summer only lasts so long — the key is not to overdo it. "We tend to see heat stroke in people who are 'weekend warriors' — people who try to do too much outside on their time off and don't accurately assess the weather or their own limitations," says Amy Barger Stevens, a family medicine physician and vice president of the UT Primary Care Collaborative at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Can heat exhaustion be more dangerous for people with COVID-19?

While the pandemic is waning in many areas of the country thanks to increased vaccination rates, people with COVID-19 should take extra precautions to be safe. For one thing, feeling sick in hot weather just isn't comfortable, says Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Health Security. But excessive heat could also cause other symptoms. "If you're having a fever and chills due to COVID-19, you'll have a lower threshold for dehydration already, so you may get dehydrated faster if you're hot," he says.

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