Millions of Americans Brace for Dangerous Heat Wave, Record-Breaking Temperatures
Triple-digit temperatures are expected across much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and New England
Record-breaking heat is expected to sweep across a swath of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. this week, leaving millions sweltering under dangerously high temperatures.
Scorching heat was seen from the Ohio Valley up to parts of Western New York Monday, breaking records in several areas.
More than 60 million people were under heat advisory warnings early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to creep up into the weekend as the so-called heat dome intensifies, Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the NWS said.
A heat dome occurs when high-pressure atmospheric conditions trap heat over an area, creating a “dome” of stagnant, hot air.
The weather service was predicting the mercury to hit triple digits across much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and New England by Thursday and warned people to stay indoors and limit physical activities.
“This heat wave is already ongoing but is really going to ramp up over the next few days,” Chenard said. “Multiple days in the high 90s and low 100s can really take its toll, especially when things don’t seem to be cooling much at night.”
Manchester, N.H., and New Brunswick, N.J., were forecast to see temperatures in excess of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday and Friday, Chenard said, highs not seen for decades.
The heat index—a value that combines the effects of air temperature and relative humidity to represent the perceived temperature—is expected to soar above 105 degrees Fahrenheit in many places.
Residents in large metropolitan areas including Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston and New York City were warned to expect extreme heat, the NWS said in an advisory. The weather service also said there may be power outages around the country due to prolonged heat.
In New York City, utility Consolidated Edison asked customers to limit usage of large appliances such as dishwashers and dryers between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. “We’ll be doing everything possible to keep your power reliable,” it said in an email to customers Tuesday. “You can help, too.”
The latest heat wave follows record-breaking temperatures in parts of California and the Southwest earlier this month, when cities including Phoenix and Las Vegas saw temperatures top 110 degrees.
Both extreme weather systems have come much earlier in the summer season than usual. Last year was Earth’s hottest year on record, fueled by rising greenhouse-gas emissions. More than 2,300 people died of heat-related causes in the U.S. in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
On Monday, more than a dozen unions and environmental groups urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters. Doing so, the groups said in a letter, would unlock funds to help cities and towns build cooling centers, air-filtration systems and other equipment to prepare for climate emergencies.