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More than 125 million Americans woke up under dangerous heat alerts today.

The pressure system that spent the last few days baking the northern Plains is on the move. It is pushing straight into the Mid-Atlantic and expanding across the Northeast. From Richmond all the way up to Boston, thermometers are targeting 100°F. Factor in the humidity, and it will feel significantly hotter.

But the afternoon peak is not the real threat.

The danger lies in what happens after sunset. Forecasters are warning that nighttime temperatures are staying abnormally warm. Your body relies on that overnight drop to recover from daytime heat stress. When the air stays heavy and hot through the night, the risk of heat exhaustion multiplies.

Right now, 32 million people sit under the highest level of extreme heat warning.

While the East Coast sweats, southwest Texas is bracing for something entirely different. Slow-moving storm cells are projected to dump up to 10 inches of rain across isolated pockets of the state, triggering severe flash flood warnings.

If you are in the heat zone today, stay inside during peak hours. Keep hydrated. Check on the people who might need it.