09:27 AM EDT, 06/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Natural Gas traded lower early on Monday even as a heatwave covering much of the eastern United States boosts cooling demand and long-term forecasts see hot weather continuing.

Gas for July delivery was last seen down US$0.03 to US$3.82 per million British thermal units.

The drop comes despite higher cooling demand as temperatures in the big markets of the Midwest and Northeast rise to levels the National Weather Service is calling 'extreme'.

"Extreme HeatRisk impacts will expand from the Midwest into the Mid-Atlantic today. This level of HeatRisk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration. High temperatures in the 90s to 100s and lows in the 70s to low 80s will break numerous records over the next several days," the agency said in its daily forecast.

Long-term forecasts from the service expect little relief from the heat, with the six to 14 day outlook seeing hotter than seasonal temperature for nearly all states over the period.