Third of Americans told to stay indoors as dangerous heat stifles the country

More than 100 million Americans have been advised stay to indoors amid record-breaking heat, with experts warning that such temperatures could become the norm as the climate crisis mounts.

- Gloria Oladipo

Yesterday as many as 107.5 million people, more than a third of the US population, were warned to stay inside as a potentially lethal combination of extreme heat and humidity settled over much of the country.

The heatwave stretched from parts of the Gulf Coast in the south to the Great Lakes in the midwest, the National Weather Service Prediction Center said.

In total, more than 125 million people were under heat alerts including heat advisories and excessive heat warnings, CNN reported.

"This is a day where not only folks who are susceptible to heat-related illnesses, but really just about anybody that's going to be outside for an extended period of time is at risk for heat-related illnesses," Matt Beitscher, an NWS meteorologist based in St Louis, said.

Record high temperatures were set throughout the US, particularly in the south-west, prompting cities to try to find ways to cope with potentially lethal heat. Scientists have repeatedly warned that recurring and intense heat waves could become the norm as the climate crisis intensifies.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, temperatures reached a high of 43C (109F), matching a record set in 1956. The NWS warned that temperatures could rise higher.