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The US continues to suffer from severe weather as thunderstorms and heat waves rage across many areas of the country.
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| Tourists take shelter from the sun at a fountain in Washington DC. Source: Getty Images |
Dangerous heat will extend across the southern United States, from the California desert to Louisiana and parts of Mississippi, through this weekend and next week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS said the United States saw a spike in calls and hospital visits for heat-related illnesses during mid- and late June, especially in southern regions.
The persistent heat wave has increased the risk of wildfires. Northern Arizona has issued a two-day high fire warning for July 6-7 due to high winds and dry conditions. High winds and low relative humidity are also forecast across a large swath of Arizona.
Meanwhile, according to the NWS forecast, strong thunderstorms with large hail and tornadoes are forecast to appear across the High Plains region of the western United States on July 7.
Extreme weather events, which claim more lives than hurricanes and tornadoes, are likely to increase in the United States in the future, experts warn.
Each year in the United States, thunderstorms produce 20 to 25 million lightning strikes, killing more than 20 people and injuring hundreds.
According to CNN, at least one-third of the US population is experiencing extreme weather events that cause major damage. In 2022 alone, extreme weather events cost the US an estimated $165 billion.
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