Worst heat wave of summer bakes East

• Temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s forecast
• Excessive heat will create dangerous conditions
• The heat will expand into the Midwest and northern Plains by midweek

Blistering heat will scorch the Northeast this week, as some of the hottest weather of the summer envelops the heavily populated region.

Although records are not expected to be broken, the National Weather Service has put heat advisories and heat warnings in place in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, as temperatures soar well into the 90s.

In the Northeast, "the I-95 region will be a virtual sauna bath," reports AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

In Philadelphia, "the excessive heat will create dangerous conditions, especially for those working in the sun or living in non-air-conditioned homes," according to an online weather service report. "The most adversely affected are young children and adults over 50."

Hot, humid conditions are forecast for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in New York City on Tuesday evening, AccuWeather predicts, with mostly clear skies and temperatures in the 80s. There is only a 5% chance of rain during the game.

The afternoon high temperature Monday in New York City was 94 degrees.

Many spots east of the Mississippi River will feel have temperatures that feel like they're in the 100 to 110 degree range, once the humidity is factored in.

While isolated to scattered thunderstorms will be possible during the afternoon and evening east of the Mississippi River this week, the majority of locations will stay rain-free, weather service meteorologist Richard Otto says.

The heat will expand into the Midwest and northern Plains by midweek, the weather service reports.

"Early-morning lows will only 'cool' into the upper 70s or even low 80s in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.," says Weather Channel meteorologist Jon Erdman. "The lack of a break in the heat in the evening and overnight has been cited as a significant contributor to heat deaths."

According to AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok, "the extreme part of the heat is not forecast to ease until over the coming weekend into next week, when thunderstorms may return to many areas."

While the East bakes this week, beneficial rain is forecast to fall in parts of drought-plagued Texas and the Desert Southwest. However, some flooding is possible as the rain falls on the bone-dry ground.