"Cooler temperatures are approaching, but the year’s worst heat wave continues to punish areas from South Dakota to coastal Massachusetts on Thursday, prolonging withering conditions that have already claimed one man’s life in Kentucky."
"Officials warn that persistent overnight heat, high humidity and intense sunshine threaten areas of the country, especially the Midwest, that aren’t accustomed to near-tropical conditions. Excessive heat still blankets parts of 21 states and the District of Columbia, with temperatures reaching into the 100s when accounting for humidity.
'It’s oppressive and dangerous for people exposed to this condition,' warned Chris Vaccaro, spokesman for the National Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. He said only a Miami resident vacationing in Minneapolis would be accustomed to the muggy conditions in the Midwest.
'This is the most significant heat wave of the year,' Vaccaro said."
Benjamin Mueller reports for the Los Angeles Times July 18, 2013.