US midwest braces for hottest days this summer, with 55m under heat alerts

Chicago, Des Moines, Topeka and other cities experiencing extreme heat with little to no overnight relief'

A heatwave has left US midwest states confronting what may be some of the most sweltering days the region has seen this summer, with 55 million people included in alerts over the conditions.

A late-season high-pressure system over cities such as Chicago; Des Moines, Iowa; and Topeka, Kansas, has left them experiencing rare extreme heat" for a long period of time, with little to no overnight relief", according to the National Weather Service.