Double whammy? Half of Americans advised to stay indoors. Truant? Heat and air

Half of the US population was urged to take precautions when they are outdoors as the country witnessed a relentless heat wave and poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires ahead of the long Fourth of July weekend. Almost 80 million people living in California, Deep South and lower Mississippi Valley were under excessive heat warnings, the National Weather Service said.

The temperatures are expected to soar well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in many parts of California, forecasters warned urging people to not participate in strenuous activities outdoors. Across the Midwest and East, another 100 million Americans faced air pollution due to raging wildfires in Canada.

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Individuals, especially those who are young, elderly and suffer from respiratory problems should consider limiting outdoor activities, authorities told the residents in these areas.

New York and Washington had the second and third worst air quality respectively of any major cities around the world, as per IQAir.com. In eastern Illinois and western Indiana many people were without electricity after fierce storms knocked down power lines, Reuters reported quoting Poweroutage.us which said that about 280,000 homes and businesses in the area were without power.

In Texas, 13 people were killed due to the heatwave which was expected to be centered over the mid-South by the weekend. Heat index levels of up to 112 degrees (44 Celsius) were forecast in Florida over the next few days. Eleven of the heat-related deaths in Texas occurred in Webb County, which includes Laredo, Associated Press reported.

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