Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont as Hurricane Beryl approaches

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont until 8pm.

According to the National Weather Service, severe thunderstorms are set to affect several counties in New Hampshire, including Belknap, Cheshire, Grafton and Hillsborough. In Vermont, several areas are also covered by the weather watch, including Orange, Windsor, Essex and Caledonia.

The weather warning is despite the National Weather Service forecasting "dangerously hot conditions" that are set to continue for the Southeast through the end of the weekend" with simmering heat building across California's Central Valley early this week.

Read more: Kansas tornado warning for severe weather as baseball-size 'gorilla hail' falls in terrifying storm

Thunderstorms and "instances of heavy rain" are forecast to impact "parts of the East Coast, Midwest, and Four Corners/Southwest" over the next few days. This is due to a potent cold front "ushering in" a comfortable air-mass to the Great Lakes and Midwest towards the East Coast - bringing heavy showers and thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service also warned that storms could turn severe between Maine and the Carolinas, with the primary weather hazard being strong, damaging wind gusts. The same weather front is set to bring in additional thunderstorms on Monday across the Southeast.

The flash flood threat is expected to be highest across coastal South Carolina and southeast Georgia, where slow-moving storms could produce a few inches of rainfall in a very short period of time. Separately, the National Weather Service has issued an heat-related warning from Texas to New Jersey amid soaring temperatures.

It reads: "The transition to July will continue to feature areas of potentially dangerous heat throughout parts of the southern U.S. and California. At the upper levels, higher pressure over the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley will focus much of the heat over the south-central U.S. over the next few days before ridging begins to build toward the West Coast by Tuesday.

"This equates to high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s today from the Mid-Atlantic to the southern Plains. This level of heat and the potential for maximum temperatures into the low 100s are expected to remain throughout the south-central U.S. through at least Tuesday, while much of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic cools off behind a cold front.

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.

"Overnight temperatures are expected to be quite warm over the southern Plains and not offer much time for relief after scorching daytime temperatures. In fact, several daily warm minimum temperature records could be broken/tied over the next few days in this region.

"For California, a dangerous and long-duration heat event is forecast to begin on Tuesday as high temperatures soar into the triple digits, which has prompted Excessive Heat Warnings and Watches to be posted. These readings will impact interior valley locations and areas away from the immediate coastline. Residents and visitors are urged to follow proper heat safety as this level of heat could be deadly for anyone without effective cooling."