Millions of people across swathes of the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, have been issued urgent safety alerts about their children and pets amid concerns over dangerously hot conditions .

Why It Matters

Prolonged exposure during heat waves—including being in hot vehicles—poses an acute, preventable risk to vulnerable people and animals.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that heat-related illnesses "increase significantly during extreme heat," and that heat stroke is an emergency.

"There is a high risk for dangerous heat illness for anyone, especially for the very young, the very old, those without air conditioning, and those active outdoors," it said.

What To Know

The NWS has issued extreme heat warnings and advisories across numerous states on Monday and

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