this is all courtesy of this area of high pressure, this big heat dome that s going to continue to make its way on towards the east. this will continue to expand. before it s said and done on your monday we are looking at 178 million people above 90 degrees and heading into wednesday, 224 million people will be above 90 degrees. with all that heat, the thunderstorms will be firing, too, working towards this evening and several areas. back to you, adriana. lynette charles of the weather channel. the heat in phoenix is unrelenting. today was the 23rd straight day that temperatures were 110 degrees or higher. the city s located in what s called the valley of the sun. emma lockhart of our affiliate kpho takes us up close on a ride along with first responders. reporter: as temperatures heat up throughout the day, phoenix fire crews get more calls for people who can t escape the elements.
reporter: in italy, a tornado and hail and lightning and high winds battered the balkans. in california, more extremes. snow cleanup. today the tioga pass, a major mountain high to yosemite national park, finally reopened to tourists. but the rest of the state still suffering under sizzling temperatures that will roll into august. experts say the heat is so intense across the nation, it could send 235,000 people to emergency rooms this summer. adriana. elise preston, thank you. for more on the expanding heatwave, let s check in with meteorologist lin-manuel miranda from our partners at the weather channel. yeah, we do have some heat that is going to continue to soar across the area as we head to tomorrow. triple digits once again. we could see this in places redding, fresno and even vegas. phoenix getting in on the action, too.
we are concerned about, you know, it s hot out here, and sometimes when you are walking out in this heat, it the sun gets yto you. reporter: this this elderly woman walking on the pavement barefoot. someone called 911. want to make sure that your temperature is okay, your blood pressure is good. reporter: phoenix fire p paramedic and engineers say this summer has been unrelenting. most of their patients in this heat, the elderly and homeless. someone calls in because they see somebody like just at the bus stop, hasn t moved, and in 118-d degree days we have been having, that s not normal. reporter: but some calls, like this one, are a matter of life and death. feels warm. reporter: we are here at cortez park in phoenix. the fire crews responding to a 911 call for a man who was in distress. the temperature out here right now 114 degrees. so they actually put him in a
harness filled with ice as well as cool water to cool his body temperature down. but just goes to show how dangerous the temperatures are out here today. pour water all over him ultimate. reporter: phoenix fire captain chandler says this technique saves lives. we put some of our i.v.s on ice or cooler i.v.s to cool that internal temperature quicker for those individuals. we also have come up with ways of creating an ice bath immediately on scene. reporter: the large number of calls they are getting testing fire crews who have to brave the heat to save others. for cbs news, i m emma lockhart in phoenix. extreme heat is pushing airlines to the limit. in some cases, they are reducing baggage, fuel, sometimes passengers to help aircraft operate. this week the house of the representatives passed a wide ranging bill to improve air travel at a time of growing disruption and dysfunction. cbs s christina ruffini joins us with more on that.