More record highs were recorded out West on Thursday — San Francisco hit 94 and Palm Springs touched 119 — raising the risk of wildfires.
Several brush fires and wildfires already are burning, from California to Colorado, where evacuations were ordered east of Denver as a fire spread.
Seven states on Friday are under fire danger alerts as more scorching heat is expected in the region, including highs nearing 120 in Arizona.
Reg flag warnings have been issued in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado because of the dry conditions and gusty winds.
At least 170 damaging storms, including four tornadoes in Kansas, were reported on Thursday, as winds of almost 80 mph were reported southeast of Kansas City.
On Friday, this storm system is heading east, taking severe weather to an area stretching from Colorado to Illinois. The biggest threats again will be damaging wind, large hail and potentially a few tornadoes.
