It is the first week of summer and with it comes a major heat wave.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S. It's especially dangerous for older adults, children and people with chronic medical conditions.

• The first scorcher of the year is typically the most jarring, as our bodies aren't yet acclimated to the high temperatures — that's especially relevant this year, following an unusually cool, rainy spring.

State of play: An unseasonably hot air mass formed over the Midwest and East Coast this past weekend, creating a heat dome and pushing temperatures into the mid-90s.

• Heat index values — or "feels like" temperatures — are expected to exceed 100 degrees in Cleveland over the next few days.

Threat level: The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Watch in Northeast Ohio counties through tomorrow evening.

• "Consecutive days of excessive heat and humidity combined with little relief overnight due to very warm low temperatures can be especially hazardous," according to the NWS. "The heat may continue into Wednesday."

Flashback: We've reported this summer has a 33% chance of being hotter than average in most of Ohio, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.

By the numbers: The heat wave could approach or surpass Cleveland's daily records of 94 for today and 96 for tomorrow.

• However, Wednesday's record high of 104 (set in 1988) appears highly unlikely.

The bottom line: Temperatures are expected to drop a bit in the latter half of the week but will remain high.

• Cleveland Clinic offers several tips for preventing heat exhaustion, including staying hydrated, limiting physical activity and wearing "loose-fitting or vented clothes."

If you're in the market for a new home, this week's heatwave may have you thinking about one with a pool.

Yes, but: You may have to look around for a while.

By the numbers: Only about 10% of Cleveland-area homes listed from January through April had pools, according to data from Realtor.com.

• That's down from nearly 13% in 2019.

Zoom out: That's still higher than other Midwest metros like Columbus (9%), Pittsburgh (7%) and Detroit (6%), but lower than Indianapolis (16%) and Cincinnati (13%).

The big picture: Nationwide, nearly one in four listings offered a pool in April — a record high.

• They're most common in sweltering Miami, Phoenix and Orlando, Florida.

🧊 Six recreation centers in Cleveland will offer extended hours to serve as indoor cooling centers through tomorrow. (Cleveland.com)

🌪️ Three tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in Northeast Ohio last week. (News 5)

🏢 The downtown skyscraper at 1100 Superior Avenue, formerly known as the Oswald Centre, is up for auction. (Crain's Cleveland 🔒)

😮‍💨 The suburbs of Lakewood, Cleveland Heights and Solon are looking to crack down on an oversaturation of smoke shops. (Cleveland Scene)

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Uninsured rates hit record lows in all U.S. states by 2023, driven by coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act and related policy changes, per a new report.

By the numbers: The uninsured rate for working-age U.S. adults dropped from 20.4% in 2013 to 11% in 2023, according to an analysis of census data from the Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation.

• Ohio's uninsured rate dropped from 15.8% to 8.3% during that period.

Zoom out: California (-15 percentage points), New Mexico (-14.9) and Louisiana (-14.7) had the biggest drops over that period — meaning more residents are now insured.

• Washington, D.C. (3.4%), Massachusetts (3.6%) and Hawai'i (3.9%) had the lowest uninsured rates as of 2023.

Context: Under the ACA, states can expand Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

• Ohio was one of 25 states to expand Medicaid coverage in 2014 under the ACA. That number has grown to 41 (including D.C.).

Zoom in: The states that still have relatively high uninsured rates "generally haven't expanded Medicaid," per the report.

What's next: Congressional Republicans have been pushing for significant Medicaid cuts and changes that could result in millions of Americans losing their coverage.

Between the lines

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This week's photo was taken by Jahaziel Roman Alvarez (@nerderousrage), who captured Bethlehem Temple of Praise Church in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood.

📷 If you have a recent photo representing Cleveland's essence, please submit it by replying to this email.