Phil Scott says damage is ‘historic and catastrophic’; parts of the US south and southwest are suffering extreme heat

• Vermont capital cut off by floodwaters

Vermont’s governor Phil Scott gave a press conference earlier, saying that while the sun was expected to come out in Montpelier, the flooding was “nowhere near over”.

He was speaking as his state was dealing with up to two months’ worth of rain in two days. The rain had left “countless” roads washed out.

…What is heat stress and what causes it?

It occurs when the body experiences a buildup of heat, at a level that is more than what it can release. “The human body has this fantastic ability to cool through sweat evaporation,” said Uwe Reischl, professor in the school of public and population health at Boise State University. But even when the body is producing sweat, the evaporation can be limited due to humidity in the air.