Heat wave enters 4th day with no relief in sight

Another day of blistering heat is in store for much of the Northeast.

A prolonged heat wave is gripping the Northeast, with heat index values near 100 degrees Monday in major cities like Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; New York City; Hartford, Connecticut; and Albany, New York. Some record highs will be challenged as temperatures rise to nearly 20 degrees above average.

Heat advisories, excessive heat warnings and excessive heat watches are now in effect from North Carolina to Maine, covering more than 60 million people.

The heat wave is expected to persist through most of this week with temperatures above 90 degrees through Thursday. If temperatures manage to stay above 90 degrees through six or seven days straight in the Northeast, the heat wave will enter record territory. Central Park hasn't reached 90 degrees seven days in a row since 33 years ago.

While temperatures have cooled off in the Midwest, the relief from the heat will be brief. Another major warm-up is on the way for the central U.S. Widespread dangerous heat is expected from the Plains to the Midwest and Northeast on the Fourth of July with heat index values into the 90s and low 100s in spots.

While it does look like a brief cool down will reach parts of the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, the new climate outlook is showing high probabilities of well-above average temperatures in the Northeast for the month of July.

Fires burning out West

The County fire outside of Sacramento, California, is now at 32,000 acres with 2 percent containment. The fire has not destroyed property and no one has been injured or killed. There are mandatory evacuations in parts of Yolo and Napa counties.

Smoke from California fires is now flowing into population centers, such as San Francisco.

This fire is one of 57 large wildfires burning across the western U.S., most of them in Alaska.

Critical fire conditions are expected to persist across the West through the middle of the week due to gusty winds.

Additionally, temperatures will be on the rise later this week from California to Utah.