The unseasonably warm weather shattered temperature records in 44 cities Monday, NBC News' Bill Karins reported, with Dodge City, Kansas hitting 100 degrees.

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"[Tuesday and Wednesday] should be the highest numbers," said Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth. "I would expect some 50 records or more set each day" ... He added: "These are temperatures that would be more likely to be seen in late August or early September, rather than the middle of October."