If you have been spending the summer inside with the air conditioner cranked up then you have been hiding not only from people but the scorching hot temperatures reaching up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. As for those who have to go to work, it has been the routine of running into your car to quickly turn on the cool air as seconds outside seems likes minutes of agonizing torture. As for someone who has lived in Houston TX it always surprises me how hot every year seems to get people begin to cringe as summer comes closer and closer. Well, summer has officially begun for not only the south, but also Midwestern regions of America.

The affected states are Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. The temperatures are reaching up to 115 degrees. In Houston it has hit up to 102 degrees, but as the summer goes along I am sure it will being to increase. Luckily, parts of Texas may held massive floods and thunderstorms before the heat wave began to hit so Houston Texas is below average. The same thing can not be said for states of California, Arizona and Colorado who get very little rain all year around.

"We're expecting something similar with highs around 115 to 120, with the warmest areas in Southern California," weather service meteorologist Bianca Hernandez said in an interview with TheVillagesSuntimes.

Records have been set as states begin to surpass the highest temperatures ever recorded. It was 112 degrees in Tucson, two degrees hotter than the mark set in 2005 for that date.The National Weather Service says the thermometer hit 112 degrees in Lancaster, breaking the old record of 110 degrees set for the same day in 1961.Las Vegas has sizzled to 115 degrees and topped a record high temperature of 113 for the date set just a year ago. Numerous places across Los Angeles and neighboring counties passed 100 degrees well before noon Monday. The National Weather Service says the thermometer hit 121 degrees in Palm Springs by 1 p.m. These records have people worried for what is to come in July and August.

Dozen of wildfires have began through western United States as one spark can cause acres of wildfires that can take days to put out. July 4th celebrations will have to be cut short, as fireworks and grills can create more fires due to the dry environment. A wild fire began in Los Angeles where 700 people had to be evacuated. This fire began by a car crash that created two separate wildfire that are beginning to emerge to create one strong storm. This is a big deal because the fire can easily keep spreading as Los Angeles has been a victim to the three-digit degree weather.

We will have to see how the summer will impact low-income homes and homeless communities as for every summer they are the ones mostly impacted. As people begin to take shelter, summer is already a burden for people living in low income communities as kids now have to stay home and use up more resources that their family already has trouble providing. The homeless who have to beg for money can only be out for a few hours before the heat begins to take a mental toll on them. So as a friendly reminder if you see a man or women struggling out in the heat offer them some water as it is a small gesture that can help them survive one more day through the summer heat storm.