Summer hasn’t officially begun, but record-breaking heat is already sweeping parts of the country

HeatSummer hasn’t officially begun, but record-breaking heat is already sweeping parts of the countryThunderstorms and extreme heat are forecast for millions of people this weekend.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A woman walks with an umbrella in New York City this week amid a "code red" warning due to extreme heat.Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 13, 2026, 1:36 PM EDTBy Francie Ebert and Christine RappExtreme heat, flash flooding, and severe thunderstorms are forecast for tens of millions of people across the country this weekend.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Even though June 21 marks the first day of summer, temperatures across the country already feel like the peak of the season.An estimated 26 million people will experience extreme heat across the West, the Plains and the Southeast. Some areas — including Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Tallahassee, Florida; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Tulsa, Oklahoma — could see temperatures reach as high as 108 degrees, with most daytime highs settling in the 90s. These readings are roughly 5 to 10 degrees above typical mid-June levels.The West Coast is also bracing for rising temperatures, with highs climbing to 10 to 25 degrees above normal this weekend. Daytime temperatures will range from the 80s to over 100 across California, Oregon and Washington, with active heat alerts in effect for Bakersfield and Redding, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle.Heat isn’t the only threat. Severe thunderstorm watches are in effect through 3 p.m. CT Saturday for portions of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. An additional 20 million people face the risk of strong to severe storms this weekend, with activity expected to develop after 6–7 p.m. across Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, Missouri and northwest Arkansas.Flash flood alerts are also in place for those areas. Citie...