The big picture: With July 4 holiday travel expected to hit an all-time high, record-breaking temperatures are set to continue for up to two weeks across the U.S. West — where 18 large fires are burning. "Dangerous" heat is expected across the South and Mid-Atlantic through the weekend and into next week.
The deadly Hurricane Beryl was barreling toward Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula where it's expected to make landfall early Friday after lashing the Cayman Islands and Jamaica with heavy rains and powerful winds.
The big picture: The storm's early formation, rapid intensification and location have broken records. While it's expected to weaken into a tropical storm across the Yucatán Peninsula, it's forecast to re-intensify over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening southern Texas over the weekend.
