Dangerous, record-breaking heat will continue across parts of central and eastern US through Friday before shifting its focus across the entire eastern US through the Independence Day holiday weekend, the US National Weather Service said.
Temperatures could potentially reach a peak of nearly 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The region stretching from the northern/central Plains into the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic is likely to experience severe thunderstorms in places on Friday.
The NWS early Friday issued a red flag warning for Colorado's Montrose, Gunnison, Nucla, Buena Vista, Cortez, Durango, Lake City, Alamosa, Telluride, Leadville, Creede, Wolf Creek Pass, Saguache, South Fork, Salida, San Luis, Trinidad, Canon City, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Fairplay and Woodland Park.
Pueblo and Westcliffe were placed under an evacuation immediate watch.
Xcel Energy (XEL) and Black Hills (BKH) unit Black Hills Energy are the primary electricity service providers in Colorado.
The NWS issued an extreme heat warning for the entirety of Ohio and Kentucky. The Ohio-based subsidiaries of American Electric Power (AEP) and AES (AES), FirstEnergy (FE) units Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, and The Illuminating Company, and Duke Energy (DUK) are among the major service providers in Ohio.
Kentucky is primarily served by PPL (PPL) subsidiary Louisville Gas and Electric & Kentucky Utilities, AEP unit Kentucky Power, and Duke Energy among others.
An extreme heat warning was also raised for the entirety of New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Eversource Energy (ES), National Grid (NGG), Exelon (EXC) unit Delmarva Power, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) unit Public Service Electric & Gas, FirstEnergy subsidiary Jersey Central Power & Light, Avangrid unit The United Illuminating Company, Unitil, PPL subsidiary Rhode Island Energy are among the major service providers in these states.
Almost all of Maryland, except for Oakland and parts of Cumberland, were also placed under an extreme heat watch.
The state is primarily served by Exelon units Baltimore Gas and Electric and Potomac Electric Power Company, First Energy subsidiary Potomac Edison and Delmarva Power.
An extreme heat warning was also raised for almost all of Indiana, except for South Bend, Warsaw, Plymouth, Angola, and Gary; and for a majority of Illinois barring Princeton, Freeport, Rockford, Dixon, Ottawa, Joliet, Delkalb, Waukegan, Aurora, and Chicago. Also in Illinois, Aurora and Delkalb were placed under a flash flood warning, while a flood warning was raised for Canton, Havana, Jacksonville, areas near Carlinville, and Olney.
Indiana is primarily served by Duke Energy, AEP subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power, NiSource (NI) unit Northern Indiana Public Service Company, AES unit AES Indiana, and CenterPoint Energy (CNP). Ameren's (AEE) Illinois unit and Exelon subsidiary ComEd are among the major service providers in Illinois,
Also covered under an extreme heat warning watch were Missouri's Rockport, Grant City, Maryville, Bethany Trenton, Kirksville, St. Joseph, Plattsburg, Chillicothe, Carrollton, Moberly, Macon, Boonville, Sedalia, Centerville, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Jefferson City, Clinton, Buttler, Harrisonville, Warrensburg, Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis. Evergy (EVRG), Ameren's Missouri unit, and Algonquin Power & Utilities (AQN) subsidiary Liberty are the major service providers in Missouri.
In New York, a similar warning was used for Geneva, Ithaca, Elmira, Syracuse, Binghamton, Utica, Oneonta, Monticello, Poughkeepsie, Middletown, Newburgh, New York, Peekskill, Saratoga Spring, Glens Falls, Albany, Herkimer, and Plattsburgh. Consolidated Edison (ED) units Consolidated Edison Company of New York and Orange & Rockland, National Grid (NGG), Avangrid subsidiaries New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric, and Fortis unit Central Hudson Gas & Electric are among the major suppliers in New York.
Michigan's Detroit, Ann Harbour, Fort Huron, and Flint, primarily served by CMS Energy (CMS) unit Consumers Energy, and DTE Energy (DTE), were also covered under an extreme heat warning.
Affected areas in Pennsylvania include Clarion, Butler, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Altoona, Gettysburg, Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Williamsport, State College, Lock Haven, Scranton, Reading, Allentown. The state is primarily served by Exelon unit PECO Energy, PPL subsidiary PPL Electric Utilities, Duquesne Light Company and FirstEnergy through its various subsidiaries.
In West Virginia, Moorefield, Kaiser, Martinsburg, Huntington, Charleston, Sutton, Parkersburg, Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Morgantown were placed under an extreme heat warning. These places primarily fall under the service area of American Electric Power's Appalachian Power Company and FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
A similar warning was raised for Virginia's Winchester, Leesburg, Luray, Washington, Warrenton, Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Dale City, Charlottesville, Emporia, Franklin, South Hill, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Farmville, Williamsburg, Ashland, Louisa, Tappahannock, and Accomac. Appalachian Power Company and Dominion Energy (D) are the major electric utility service providers in the state.
Affected areas in Iowa included Lamoni, Ottumwa, Burlington and Keokuk. Decorah and Charles City were covered under a flood warning, while Des Moines was placed under watch for flash floods. Berkshire Hathaway Energy unit MidAmerican Energy and Alliant Energy (LNT) are primary service providers in the state.
Extreme heat warnings were also issued for parts of Kansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
The NWS also raised flash flood warnings for parts of Nebraska and South Dakota, while small pockets of Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Georgia were placed under a flood warning.