Axios

Editor's note: See Axios' latest coverage on the heat wave.

The heat wave scorching much of Mexico, Texas and parts of New Mexico is forecast to worsen and last into the week of July 4, weather forecast models and National Weather Service (NWS) guidance show.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the U.S., and long-duration heat with little overnight relief makes this event particularly hazardous.

Tropical Storm Cindy formed over the central tropical Atlantic on Thursday night, becoming the third named storm of the season.

Why it matters: It's the first time on record that two Atlantic tropical cyclones have formed in June in the area known as the Main Development Region (MDR), as Tropical Storm Bret remains active in the Caribbean, meteorologist Eric Fisher noted.

Multnomah County, Oregon — which contains most of Portland — filed a lawsuit Thursday against over a dozen fossil fuel companies and industry associations, seeking $50 million in actual damages from the June 2021 heat wave that blanketed the Pacific Northwest, sending temperatures up to 116° in the county.

Of note: The suit also seeks $1.5 billion in future damages and $50 billion to "weatherproof" the county against extreme heat.

India has signed the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led agreement governing peaceful uses of the Moon and its resources, prime minister Narendra Modi announced Thursday.

Why it matters: "India has long seen itself as a counter-balance to geopolitical dyads," between the U.S. and Soviet Union in the past and today with the U.S. and China, the Secure World Foundation's Victoria Samson tells Axios.

A tornado in Matador, Texas, killed at least four people and wounded 10 others Wednesday night as storms spawned multiple tornadoes across the Rolling Plains amid a record-setting extreme heat wave, authorities said.

The latest: Matador has "experienced an unprecedented tornado bringing damaging winds to the town," the Lubbock Fire Rescue agency said Thursday morning.

An "oppressive" record-breaking heat wave that's helped fuel deadly storms in Texas and surrounding states could continue through the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the National Weather Service warned Wednesday.

Why it matters: Extreme heat poses a threat to people's health, can lead to hospitals dealing with an influx of patients with heat-related illnesses, and it's the top weather-related killer in the U.S. in a typical year. It also puts a heavy strain on power grids.