Weary California firefighters braced Sunday for another heat wave in the next few days as they battled to bring two major blazes threatening towns along the central coast under control.

Tropical Storm Bertha is approaching warmer waters and is likely to strengthen during the coming days.

The Army Corps of Engineers says two navigational locks along the Mississippi River have reopened after being closed because of flooding.

Severe thunderstorms swept across parts of Michigan, flooding streets and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of residents.

Transportation corridors opened over and on the Mississippi River Wednesday as floodwaters continued to recede at a rapid pace.

A new climate model estimates that by 2100 high temperatures for once-in-a-generation heat waves will rise twice as fast as everyday average temperatures.