Heat wave hits US Northeast
Scorching temperatures topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit were expected throughout the east, rising to at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in New York and Washington.
Canada’s Quebec region, particularly around Montreal, also got blasted, although city hospitals said there had been no immediate spike in heat-related illnesses.
New Yorkers were warned to stay in the shade and check on relatives and neighbors today as the temperature hit a record 102 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the mark for the date of 101 set in 1999.
The heat index, or how hot it feels, was 106 as of 3 p.m., the National Weather Service reported. The last time temperatures rose to 100 or more was on Aug. 9, 2001, when it was 103. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 106 on July 9, 1936.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 100 or feel worse from Virginia to Maine, putting stress on power agencies to supply air conditioning. Consolidated Edison Co. urged customers to conserve power during the day, according to an alert from New York City’s emergency notification program.
Electricity usage was expected to surge throughout the densely populated US northeast as office buildings reopened after the long July 4th Independence Day weekend.
Con Ed, a major utility company in the New York area, urged energy conservation during what was expected to be record demand for power as customers switched air conditioners into overdrive and raided freezers and fridges for refreshments.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory warning residents from Boston down to Washington that the elevated temperatures and high humidity could prove dangerous, particularly for young children and the elderly.
“Excessive heat” advisories also were posted in New York City and Philadelphia, where authorities opened “cooling stations”–air-conditioned buildings where residents can get out of the swelter.
“It will be so hot this afternoon that the weather could affect anyone no matter their age or overall health,” according to a weather service warning. “Please consider postponing any strenuous activities or workouts. Keep your pets in a cool location and provide them with plenty of water.”
The longest stretch of consecutive 100-plus days on record at Central Park came in 1993, when it rose from 100 on July 8 to 102 on July 10.
Queen Elizabeth II of the U.K. was among those braving the heat today, as the 84-year-old monarch made her first visit to New York since the 1976 bicentennial of U.S. independence from Great Britain.
The weather service issued heat advisories for much of the East and Northeast, meaning the high temperatures may have serious health consequences.
