This heat wave is bring disastrous consequences around the United States, even leading to deaths in some cases.

From Axios. The record-shattering heat plaguing much of the East and West shows no signs of ebbing. Instead, it may actually spread further during the next seven days, from the West to the Southeast.

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Have you taken your place on the wall?

Why it matters: Extreme heat is an acute public health threat and causes economic losses by hobbling infrastructure and causing spikes in heat-related illness (think stuck bridges, slowed trains and increased ER visits).

• Extreme heat in the West this week has already resulted in more than two dozen fatalities, according to the Washington Post, though this is likely an undercount. Fatalities have also been reported in Washington, D.C., where heat indices, or feels-like temperatures, have reached or exceeded 110°F at times.

Zoom in: The unusually strong heat dome that has dominated the weather pattern across the West is unlikely to fully loosen its grip, despite the expansion of the unusually hot weather to other parts of the country. …

By the numbers: The heat has toppled hundreds of daily temperature records, including both daytime highs and overnight minimum temperatures. Monthly milestones have also been broken.

• All-time records have fallen in Palm Springs (124°F), Las Vegas (120°F), and Redding, Calif. (119°F), among other locations. …
• “This level of heat for many people will create an extreme risk of heat-related illnesses when access to adequate cooling or hydration is not available,” the Weather Service stated in a forecast discussion Thursday morning. …

Zoom out: Nationally, June was the second-warmest such month on record in the Lower 48 states, according to data NOAA released this week. …

Between the lines: Many cities are currently on track to have their hottest summers on record, including Raleigh, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, La., Corpus Cristi, Texas, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Ariz., Las Vegas, Fresno and Sacramento, among others. …

Share your prayers for those affected by the heat wave below.

(Excerpt from Axios. Photo Credit: Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash)