Thousands of wilting Americans were scrambling to keep themselves cool on Tuesday as an oppressive heatwave blanketed swathes of the Midwest.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and advisories across large swathes of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and into Mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The weather service was warning of “dangerously hot conditions” and forecast heat index values – which take into account the humidity and how hot it feels – of up to 110 to 115F (43-46C) in some locations, including Chicago.

But relief was expected soon in some areas of the US, with cooler temperatures expected starting Wednesday.

“The heat still persists across the middle part of the country, but there is some much cooler air working in by the end of the month,” Josh Weiss, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

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Darrell Taylor, 61, has no air-conditioning in his flat in Chicago, where it reached a record-breaking 98F (36C). He likened the conditions to an oven, and said even running two fans did not help.

“I put a cold towel on my face. It’s only working a little bit,” he said before taking cover at a relative’s home with air conditioning.

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Chicago is among those cities that have opened cooling centres to protect people from heat stress, which can exacerbate health conditions and is particularly dangerous for the elderly and vulnerable.

The St. Sabina Catholic Church on Chicago’s South Side collected over 4,000 bottles of water to give away as temperatures climbed.

“We’re blessing people with water because it is a very hot day,” Meryle Davie-Hawthorne said as she handed out bottles chilled in boxes of ice. “We just want to help out.”

Meanwhile, some schools planned to close early or cancelled classes because of the heat, and zoos are cutting hours or giving animals iced treats.

While heatwaves are a natural phenomenon, they are being made worse by climate change because it is increasing baseline temperatures, according to scientists from the World Weather Attribution group.

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