Cities in midwest and north-east brace for heatwave with some to experience highs of 105F – 25 degrees above normal

Extreme heat has begun to hit the US, delivered by a high-pressure weather pattern that the federal weather prediction center says will be “potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations”.

According to meteorologists with WeatherBELL Analytics, about 265 million people in the US are forecast to see air temperatures reach or exceed 90F (32C), with many of them experiencing heat indices of about 105F by next Sunday.

The system, an upper-level ridge of high pressure, is expected to bring record-breaking temperatures in the 90s and beyond. Some areas will experience temperatures as high as 105F, or 25 degrees above normal.

Cities forecast to be hit by the heatwave include Chicago, St Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City and Albany, New York.