Oklahoma, Texas reach 115 degrees as heat wave leads to advisories in 28 states

Twenty-eight states issued heat warnings on Wednesday amid a nationwide heat wave.

Almost two-thirds of the U.S. is experiencing above 90-degree highs. In particular, Texas and Oklahoma reached temperatures of 115 degrees this week, according to The Washington Post.

The extreme temperatures are concentrated in the south-central states and stretch into California to the west and New Hampshire to the east, according to an announcement from the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

The heat advisories and warnings currently affect nearly 110 million Americans, the NWS reported Wednesday. 

The Weather Channel also announced that as many as 211 million Americans will be in these above-90 temperature zones on Wednesday, continuing through the end of the week.

The heat advisory comes after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported in June that this summer’s heat is “remarkable.” This June was the 15th warmest June the U.S. has seen in 128 years.

Last month, Alaska had its ninth-warmest June on record, and Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi all experienced their top 10 warmest Junes. 

California saw its driest six-month period — from January to June — on record, and the country overall saw its 12th driest June since 1930.

While severe dryness is plaguing some of the country, other areas experienced opposite extremes: Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest had their seventh and eighth wettest Junes on record.

The extreme heat puts the country at “above normal significant fire potential,” according to a July 1 report from the National Interagency Fire Center, and the exacerbated risk of fires and wildfires is likely to extend through October.