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Some 80 million people living in California, the Deep South and
the lower Mississippi Valley were under excessive heat warnings
and heat advisories through the day and into the weekend, before
Tuesday's holiday, the National Weather Service said.
Heat indexes - a measure that combines temperature and humidity
- were expected to soar well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38
Celsius) in many parts of California and the two regions on
Friday. Forecasters recommended that people not participate in
strenuous activities outdoors, especially in the middle of the
day, and drink plenty of water.
To the north, across the Midwest and East, another 100 million
Americans faced another day of smoky skies and poor air quality
alerts due to raging wildfires in Canada.
The weather service said individuals, especially those who are
young, elderly and suffer from respiratory problems, should
consider limiting strenuous outdoor activities in those areas.
New York and Washington had the second and third worst air
quality respectively of any major cities around the globe,
according to IQAir.com, which tracks global air pollution.
Some people in eastern Illinois and western Indiana faced a hot
and humid day of compromised air quality on Friday without
electricity after fierce storms on Thursday evening knocked down
power lines and trees.
About 280,000 homes and businesses in the area were without
power as of Friday morning, according to Poweroutage.us, which
tracks outages across the U.S.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Jonathan
Oatis)
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