Unrelenting heat waves scorch US with extreme highs

A child drinks water during a summer heat wave, at Coney Island, Brooklyn in New York City, July 4, 2026.

A woman uses an umbrella to shield the sleeping baby from the intense heat, as she walks up N Front Street in New Bedford.

A landscape worker takes a break in the shade after mowing the lawn at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis, on July 21, 2026. Memphis is under an extreme heat warning throughout Tuesday with a head index up to 117 degrees.

Brownsville resident Carlos Lopez looks on, outside his home in Cameron Park, during extreme summer heat in Brownsville, Texas, July 1, 2026.

Children cool off in water from a fire engine hose as extreme heat sweeps the Washington, D.C. area, in Arlington, Va., July 4, 2026.

A woman cools her daughter's feet with water amid high temperatures in Lower Manhattan in New York City, July 15, 2026.

A man fills a cooler with ice and beverages for sale on the Brooklyn Bridge amid high temperatures in New York City, July 15, 2026.

A woman uses an umbrella to shield herself from the sun during high temperatures on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, July 15, 2026.

A man wipes his face on Wall Street amid high temperatures in New York City, July 15, 2026.

A pedestrian walks under the misters along 6th Street in Tempe as temperatures reached above 110 degrees in the Valley on July 8, 2026.

A traffic sign displays a heat advisory in over 90 degree heat in Ridgefield Park on Thursday, July 2, 2026.

A cyclist rides down the green belt in Scottsdale as temperatures reached above 110 degrees in the Valley on July 8, 2026.

Pedestrian walk under an umbrella along Mill Avenue in Tempe as temperatures reached above 110 degrees in the Valley on July 8, 2026.

Dogs need plenty of cool water during the summer heat, be sure to have shade and ample water available to pets who can also suffer heat strokes.

A group of friends from South Georgia walk with umbrellas under high-heat temperatures, during the 2026 South Carolina Sunflower Festival at Denver Downs Farm in Anderson, S.C. Saturday, July 18, 2026.