Heat dome to bring another day of stifling temperatures ahead of much-needed relief
NEW YORK – A massive heat dome that sparked the first major heat wave of the summer brought record-breaking temperatures to cities from the Midwest to the Northeast this week, but some much-needed relief from the extreme weather is on the horizon.
Officials across the eastern half of the U.S. urged people to prepare and take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses as temperatures skyrocketed.
Still, it wasn't only the heat that proved to be dangerous.
On Monday, a group of 20 people, including children, were cooling off in a South Carolina lake when they were suddenly struck by lightning as a thunderstorm swept through Lexington.
It was also a dangerous day for firefighters in Massachusetts, who not only had to battle flames, but also the elements.
The Norfolk Police Department said a three-alarm fire broke out at a home on Main Street on Tuesday morning, and two firefighters needed to be taken to a local hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion.
Plattsburgh, New York, tied its old record of 101 degrees, and Newark, New Jersey, hit 103 degrees, breaking its daily record and tying its monthly record.
3 Much-needed relief from the extreme weather is on the horizon.
Stephen Yang
Boston soared to 102 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, and Philadelphia hit 101 degrees. That's the first time Philadelphia has hit 100 degrees since July 18, 2012.
In total, the FOX Forecast Center said temperatures topped 100 degrees in 13 states, while records from North Carolina to Maine fell.
In the Southeast, the Department of Energy issued an emergency order amid surging power demand to help mitigate the risk of blackouts. The order authorized Duke Energy Carolina to utilize resources to operate at its maximum output levels in the extreme heat.
'As electricity demand reaches its peak, Americans should not be forced to wonder if their power grid can support their homes and businesses,' U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. 'Under President Trump's leadership, the Department of Energy will use all tools available to maintain a reliable, affordable, and secure energy system for the American people. This order ensures Duke Energy Carolinas can supply its customers with consistent and reliable power throughout peak summer demand.'
3 Boston soared to 102 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, and Philadelphia hit 101 degrees — the first time Philadelphia has hit 100 degrees since July 18, 2012.
FOX Weather
The emergency order remains in effect through Wednesday.
Shelters were opened in Middleborough, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, after a town-wide power outage plunged thousands of utility customers into darkness as temperatures soared.
Town officials said power went out late Tuesday afternoon, and the Nichols Middle School was opened for residents and their pets to seek safety from the extreme heat. Power was restored just before 9 p.m., but the town's library remained open until 11 p.m. for residents to stay cool.
Con Edison said crews worked around the clock in hot conditions to restore power to customers in the Bronx in New York City and even handed out dry ice to their customers.
Eversource also asked its customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire to be aware of their energy usage.
3 The emergency order remains in effect through Wednesday.
Aristide Economopoulos
'While high electricity usage during a heat wave can put a strain on the electric system, the energy company is prepared to meet the increased demand, and its crews are ready to respond to any outages or issues that may arise,' the company said.
Heat alerts remain in effect from the Midwest to New England, but many of the Extreme Heat Warnings – the most dire heat alert – have been reduced to Heat Advisories.
More than 102 million Americans remain under a Heat Advisory, while just over 25 million remain in an Extreme Heat Warning. This includes cities like Wilmington and Raleigh in North Carolina, Richmond in Virginia and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
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Washington, New York City and Boston have been placed under a Heat Advisory.
Temperatures will once again get into the mid- to upper 90s on Wednesday along the Interstate 95 corridor on the East Coast, but relief is on the way.
New York City, for example, has a forecast high temperature of about 96 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, but on Thursday, the forecast high temperature is only expected to be about 80 degrees.
Friday will feel even cooler, with a forecast high of 68 degrees.
In the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s for the rest of the workweek.
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Hamilton Spectator
36 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge 30 degrees
NEW YORK (AP) — A record-smashing heat wave broiled the U.S. East for another day Wednesday, even as thermometers were forecast to soon plunge by as many as 30 degrees in the same areas. The day's heat wasn't expected to be as intense as Tuesday, when at least 50 heat records were matched or broken and 21 places hit triple-digit temperatures. About 127 million Americans remained under National Weather Service heat advisories, down from the previous day. Sizzling temperatures sent utilities scrambling to keep the air conditioning and lights on amid massive demand for power. 'It's still going to be, I think, pretty bad across the East,'' meteorologist Bob Oravec of the Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday morning. 'I think today is probably the last day of widespread record potential. It might not be quite as hot as yesterday by a few degrees. But still, high temperatures are expected in the upper 90s across a good section of the East.' The weather service warned of 'extreme heat' for a stretch of the country from North Carolina to New York and west to West Virginia. Highs could approach triple digits from New York to Richmond, Oravec said. Temperatures Wednesday morning were 'a little bit warmer than expected' because of northwesterly winds bringing 'warm leftovers from yesterday,' said former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist. Nantucket, Massachusetts, was above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) when its forecast high was 82. Weather whiplash The high pressure heat dome that has baked the East was forecast to break. A cold front began moving south from New England, bringing with it clouds and cooler temperatures — not only cooler than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), but cooler than normal. That air mass drawing on cool ocean waters will send temperatures plummeting by the end of the week in Philadelphia, which hit a record high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, said Ray Martin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Air temperatures will be in the low 70s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius). 'It's going to feel like a shock to the system, but it's not anything particularly unusual,' said Martin. Boston's forecast high for Friday is 34 degrees lower than what it hit Tuesday. 'It's going to feel like a different season,' Oravec said. However, it won't last. After one or two days, slightly hotter than normal temperatures are forecast, but not anywhere near the highs from earlier this week, Oravec said. Weather whiplash from one extreme to another occurs more often as the world warms overall from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, scientists said. Records smashed Tuesday was likely the peak of the heat, with Baltimore the king of swelter. The city's high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) smashed a previous record by four degrees. At night, when the human body needs cooling, temperatures only dropped to 87 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius). Baltimore was hardly alone. A dozen weather stations were 101 degrees or higher, including two New York airports. Boston hit 102, breaking its old record by seven degrees. Augusta, Maine's 100-degrees also broke its old record by seven degrees. Every coastal state from Maine to South Carolina hit 100 degrees somewhere, with Georgia and Florida clocking in at 99 on Tuesday. 'Generally speaking, the mid-Atlantic areas ... don't have to prepare for extreme heat the way Arizona or Texas do,' University of Texas energy engineering professor Michael Webber said in an email. 'So, extreme heat is less familiar and therefore more operationally challenging for them. ... And, they haven't built as many new power plants.' Extreme heat caused the road to buckle in two locations on an interstate highway in northern New Jersey. State transportation officials say the impact on the concrete roadway in Morris County on Tuesday afternoon forced some lane closures as temporary repairs were made. Crews then began work to replace the damaged areas and repave those sections. Some downtown Chicago streets will close Wednesday night to repair pavement that has buckled due to hot temperatures amid an ongoing heat wave in the city. 'Pavement failures or blowouts occur when prolonged high temperatures cause the road to expand and buckle up or blow out, resulting in uneven driving surfaces,' the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a statement. In Chesapeake, Virginia, a heat-related malfunction prompted a bridge to remain stuck in the open position. ___ Isabella O'Malley in Philadelphia; Alexa St. John in Detroit; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey; and Christine Fernando contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
One more sizzling hot day for the eastern US before temperatures plunge 30 degrees
NEW YORK (AP) — A record-smashing heat wave broiled the U.S. East for another day Wednesday, even as thermometers were forecast to soon plunge by as many as 30 degrees in the same areas. The day's heat wasn't expected to be as intense as Tuesday, when at least 50 heat records were matched or broken and 21 places hit triple-digit temperatures. About 127 million Americans remained under National Weather Service heat advisories, down from the previous day. Sizzling temperatures sent utilities scrambling to keep the air conditioning and lights on amid massive demand for power. 'It's still going to be, I think, pretty bad across the East,'' meteorologist Bob Oravec of the Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday morning. 'I think today is probably the last day of widespread record potential. It might not be quite as hot as yesterday by a few degrees. But still, high temperatures are expected in the upper 90s across a good section of the East." The weather service warned of 'extreme heat" for a stretch of the country from North Carolina to New York and west to West Virginia. Highs could approach triple digits from New York to Richmond, Oravec said. Temperatures Wednesday morning were 'a little bit warmer than expected' because of northwesterly winds bringing 'warm leftovers from yesterday,' said former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist. Nantucket, Massachusetts, was above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) when its forecast high was 82. Weather whiplash The high pressure heat dome that has baked the East was forecast to break. A cold front began moving south from New England, bringing with it clouds and cooler temperatures — not only cooler than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), but cooler than normal. That air mass drawing on cool ocean waters will send temperatures plummeting by the end of the week in Philadelphia, which hit a record high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, said Ray Martin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Air temperatures will be in the low 70s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius). 'It's going to feel like a shock to the system, but it's not anything particularly unusual,' said Martin. Boston's forecast high for Friday is 34 degrees lower than what it hit Tuesday. 'It's going to feel like a different season," Oravec said. However, it won't last. After one or two days, slightly hotter than normal temperatures are forecast, but not anywhere near the highs from earlier this week, Oravec said. Weather whiplash from one extreme to another occurs more often as the world warms overall from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, scientists said. Records smashed Tuesday was likely the peak of the heat, with Baltimore the king of swelter. The city's high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) smashed a previous record by four degrees. At night, when the human body needs cooling, temperatures only dropped to 87 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius). Baltimore was hardly alone. A dozen weather stations were 101 degrees or higher, including two New York airports. Boston hit 102, breaking its old record by seven degrees. Augusta, Maine's 100-degrees also broke its old record by seven degrees. Every coastal state from Maine to South Carolina hit 100 degrees somewhere, with Georgia and Florida clocking in at 99 on Tuesday. "Generally speaking, the mid-Atlantic areas ... don't have to prepare for extreme heat the way Arizona or Texas do," University of Texas energy engineering professor Michael Webber said in an email. 'So, extreme heat is less familiar and therefore more operationally challenging for them. ... And, they haven't built as many new power plants.' Extreme heat caused the road to buckle in two locations on an interstate highway in northern New Jersey. State transportation officials say the impact on the concrete roadway in Morris County on Tuesday afternoon forced some lane closures as temporary repairs were made. Crews then began work to replace the damaged areas and repave those sections. Some downtown Chicago streets will close Wednesday night to repair pavement that has buckled due to hot temperatures amid an ongoing heat wave in the city. 'Pavement failures or blowouts occur when prolonged high temperatures cause the road to expand and buckle up or blow out, resulting in uneven driving surfaces,' the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a statement. In Chesapeake, Virginia, a heat-related malfunction prompted a bridge to remain stuck in the open position. ___ Isabella O'Malley in Philadelphia; Alexa St. John in Detroit; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, New Jersey; and Christine Fernando contributed to this report. ___
3 hours ago
Dangerous heat blankets East Coast: When relief is coming
The first major heat wave of the summer will bring another day of dangerously high temperatures to the East Coast on Wednesday before relief moves in. The oppressive heat shattered records across the Northeast on Tuesday. New York City and Philadelphia hit 99 degrees, breaking the city's daily record highs. Baltimore and Newark, New Jersey, soared to 104 degrees and 101 degrees, respectively, also setting new daily records. On Wednesday, more than 120 million Americans from Louisiana to New Hampshire remain under heat alerts. Excessive heat warnings are in effect for a number of cities, including Washington, D.C.; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Richmond, Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; and Wilmington, North Carolina. Overall, the heat won't be as extreme as Monday and Tuesday, but Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia could still break records with highs close to 100 degrees. The heat index -- what temperature it feels like with humidity -- is forecast to reach 99 degrees in New York City, 105 in Philadelphia, 108 in D.C. and Wilmington, 104 in Charleston, South Carolina, and 106 in Nashville, Tennessee. Relief from the oppressive heat will arrive on Thursday. Click here for what you need to know to stay safe in the heat.
