NOAA flags extreme heat risk across much of the U.S. for late July

Broad summary: NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is warning that the final days of July could bring a broad extreme heat risk across much of the contiguous United States. The outlook is not a local forecast, but it helps identify regions where heat may become a public health and infrastructure issue. What is confirmed: The outlook notes a moderate risk of extreme heat for much of the Great Plains, nearby parts of the Mississippi Valley and the Southwest from July 28 to 30. A wider slight risk extends across the Gulf Coast, Florida, several valleys, the Rockies, the Great Basin, the Southwest and parts of California. Why it matters: Heat risk is not only about the highest temperature. Duration, humidity, nighttime lows, energy demand, outdoor work and access to cooling can turn the same number on a thermometer into very different impacts. Editorial note: This English edition keeps NOAA's probabilistic framing. The article should be updated only with local National Weather Service alerts or newer CPC outlooks, not with unsupported claims about specific city impacts.