Everyone from health officials to utilities companies are offering advice on how to weather the heat wave the end of this week.

On Wednesday, July 13th, the National Integrated Heat Health Information System held its first regional workshop in El Paso (during an active heat wave and under threat of rolling blackouts) to understand the heat-health needs and unique adaptive approaches of the Rio Grande/Bravo region.

A massive upper-level high will envelop most of the contiguous U.S. in the last half of July, setting up what could be a prolonged bout of extreme heat for millions of Americans. If the scorching weather persists into August, the odds of a “flash drought” in the nation’s heartland will rise sharply (along with the odds that the U.S. will notch its hottest summer on record, in line with what’s very likely to be Earth’s warmest year on record).

(CNN) The dog days of summer are hitting hard this year, and forecasters warn that some of the hottest temperatures of the season may sear a large portion of the United States this week.