Heat Wave Claims Lives in Texas and Spreads Eastward

A scorching heat wave has caused at least 13 deaths in Texas and one in Louisiana, with the extreme temperatures spreading eastward into Mississippi and Tennessee. The National Weather Service has issued warnings of dangerous, triple-digit temperatures and high humidity, with heat index values expected to exceed 115 degrees in some areas. Lingering power outages in Arkansas have compounded the heat-related misery, while California is also facing its first major heat wave of the year. The heat dome is expected to continue until the July Fourth holiday, with temperatures gradually dropping in Texas but record highs anticipated in California's Central Valley.