Millions of Americans in southeast Texas are braving scorching temperatures today without air conditioning as Tropical Storm Beryl plunged much of the region into darkness.

About 2.3 million homes and businesses are without power, according to the website Poweroutage.us, as temperatures are forecast to exceed 38 degrees Celsius during the day, according to the National Weather Service.

“Without power for much of southeast Texas following Hurricane Beryl, the lack of air conditioning could cause hazardous conditions,” the weather service said in its bulletin for the region, with the mercury expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius. .

Tropical Storm Beryl hit Texas yesterday, killing at least 5 people, flooding highways, destroying homes and damaging the power grid.

Houston resident Raymond Miller, 46, has been without power since 6 a.m. Monday local time, causing the food in his refrigerator to spoil.

“It was very hot, I couldn’t sleep and the humidity makes it very difficult (even) to breathe in my apartment. Opening the windows last night didn’t help, it could have been worse,” Miller said.

Miller added that today he plans to sit with his dog in his car, which has air conditioning, but whose gas tank is almost empty.

“There is no fuel available. Everyone is out of fuel,” he said. “There are a lot of question marks right now… It’s definitely difficult. Everything is developing into a crisis at the moment.”

Citizens in Texas are just a small percentage of the 123 million people across the country for whom authorities have issued heat advisories today. Most of the western US, from Seattle to California and Arizona, is expected to record high temperatures.