WASHINGTON, June 15, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Vast areas of the central and eastern United States are bracing for a sweltering heat wave next week, with temperatures expected to be unseasonably high for June.

"Temperatures will soar next week from the Midwest to the Northeast, where several dozen record afternoon high and record warm morning lows are set to fall," the National Weather Service said on social media on Friday.

The wave is due to start Sunday in the central United States, then spread across the Midwest and Northeast before Tuesday, and will last most of the week, the weather service said.

"Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths most years. Take it seriously," it warned.

The capital city of Washington activated its "heat emergency" plan Friday, said Mayor Muriel Bowser, and extreme temperatures were forecast for next week.

Several other major cities will also be affected, from Chicago to New York.