Sweltering Midwest Heat Cancels Outdoor Plans As Cooling Centers Open And The East Braces Children play at a water sprayground in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, June 29, 2026. (Hannah Fingerhut / AP Photo) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Summer camps and other outdoor activities were canceled Monday as tens of millions of people across the Midwest endured a heat wave that is expected to spread eastward this week. Communities opened cooling centers and urged people to take it easy and stay hydrated.