Temperatures in 8 States Will Feel Hotter Than Hottest Place on Earth
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
At least eight states were expected to see temperatures that would feel hotter than those in Death Valley—often referred to as the hottest place on Earth—on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Why It Matters
These forecasts come as the U.S. has been facing a widespread heat wave this week, which saw multiple temperature records surpassed.
The heat index—also called apparent temperature—reflects how hot it actually feels to the human body when humidity is factored in with the air temperature, the NWS says.
A person drinks from a canister near the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2025, as a significant heat wave hits the region.
A person drinks from a canister near the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2025, as a significant heat wave hits the region.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
According to an NWS forecast for Furnace Creek—a community within Death Valley National Park—a peak heat index value of 103 degrees Fahrenheit is expected on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, extreme heat warnings, issued when "a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur," warned of "dangerously hot conditions" across parts of the Eastern U.S.
Central and eastern parts of North Carolina were forecast to face heat index values climbing to 115 F.
Across Virginia, areas in the central, southern, and eastern regions were projected to experience index levels of 110 or higher.
According to the NWS, sections of east and southeast Pennsylvania were likely to reach heat index readings as high as 105.
Areas in Delaware and Maryland were preparing for heat index values peaking at 108, while neighboring New Jersey faced projected highs near 107.
Elsewhere, northeastern Kentucky, southeastern Ohio, and much of West Virginia's lowlands were all expected to see heat indexes nearing 104.
The heat wave has seen multiple record temperatures broken, according to the NWS. The service's New York forecast office reported on Tuesday a "record setting day across the area."
On Tuesday afternoon, temperatures at Newark International Airport hit 103 degrees, surpassing the previous June 24 record of 97 degrees set in 1966, it said.
This also tied the monthly record for the warmest temperature recorded for the month of June.
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service, Eastern Region, said on X on Tuesday: "There's no doubt about it many were feeling hot, hot, hot today in the Eastern United States! Many daily records were set. By the way, if you want to cool off you had better luck in Las Vegas, NV today which only reached 94 for a high!"
NWS Mount Holly/Philadelphia said on X, Tuesday: "While the peak of the heat and humidity from the ongoing heat wave are past us, it will still be very hot on Wednesday with highs in the mid to upper 90s and heat indexes around 100-105°. We'll get a more noticeable break in the heat by Thursday."
What Happens Next
At the time of writing, the latest of the extreme heat warnings was in effect until 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Residents in Alaska's capital urged to evacuate over flooding threat from melting glacier
Hundreds of residents in Alaska's capital of Juneau have been urged to evacuate over an imminent glacial flood threat. On Tuesday, Juneau officials said on Facebook that there was a glacial outburst at Suicide Basin, a side basin of the Mendenhall Glacier above Juneau, according to the National Weather Service. As the Mendenhall Glacier recedes in a warming climate, the basin has released glacier lake outburst floods that have caused an overflow of water along Mendenhall Lake and River every year since 2011. 'The basin is releasing and flooding is expected along Mendenhall Lake and River late Tuesday through Wednesday,' Juneau officials wrote in Tuesday's post. 'Residents are advised to evacuate the potential flood inundation area.' The Anchorage Daily News reported that more than 1,000 residents and businesses were placed under the evacuation alert. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning until Thursday at 8 a.m. local time. The Mendenhall River is currently at 9.85 feet, and the major flood stage for the river is 14 feet. The service warned the river will crest at 16.6 feet at around 4 p.m. Wednesday. This forecasted flooding could break a record, which was set when the Mendenhall River crested at 15.99 feet in August 2024. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has issued a disaster declaration in response to the imminent glacial flood threat. 'By issuing this declaration before the flood occurs, we can position state resources and personnel in advance to support local and tribal governments in their efforts to protect lives, homes, and essential services,' Dunleavy said in a statement. 'Our goal is to act early to reduce impacts and preserve community safety.' The imminent record-breaking flood this summer follows two years of severe flooding, according to a press release from Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which announced Dunleavy's declaration. After last year's devastating flooding, which damaged homes and public infrastructure, two miles of flood control barriers along the Mendenhall River were installed. 'I really do feel like we are prepared this year,' Juneau Manager Katie Koester told The Washington Post. 'I'm really hoping that we'll have a success story by Thursday.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Alaska capital Juneau urged to evacuate as 'glacial outburst' flood looms
Emergency managers are urging many residents of Alaska's capital city of Juneau to evacuate as summer glacial flooding driven by climate change threatens to inundate the area. Authorities say flooding from the Mendenhall River will likely crest around 4 p.m. Alaska time on Aug. 13, or 8 p.m. Eastern. They hope two miles worth of emergency flood barriers they finished intalling last month will hold back the waters from Mendenhall Valley, where a majority of Juneau's 32,000 full-time residents live. "Residents are advised to evacuate the potential flood inundation area," City and Borough of Juneau officials said in a message Aug. 12. "Do not go near the river." Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also issued a preemptive disaster declaration, citing the devastation caused by "glacial outbursts" in both 2023 and 2024. As of noon Alaska time on Aug. 12, the Mendenhall River in Juneau had risen to 10 feet deep from its usual level of about 5 feet, crossing into "moderate" flood stage territory, the National Weather Service reported. The record set last year is 16 feet deep, and forecasters say the river could surpass that. Forecasters estimate 14.6 billion gallons of water were released during last year's flood, enough to fill more than 22,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to the weather service. Previous years floods have swamped basements, destroyed infrastructure and collapsed buildings near the riverbanks. A glacial outburst like this occurs when an ice dam holding back a lake - in this case Suicide Basin - collapses from the summer heat, releasing the water in a short period of time. Suicide Basin is part of the Mendenhall Glacier, a popular tourist destination easily reached from Juneau. Federal scientists say climate change is causing the glacier to melt faster, along with altering rainfall patterns, exacerbating the danger. The first recorded outburst flood from the glacier happened 2011, according to the National Weather Service. Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped. Although the new barriers are designed to hold back a flood of this potential magnitude, officials have asked residents to evacuate as a precaution. Compared to the rest of the country, Alaska has warmed twice as fast over the last several decades, and its average annual temperature has risen 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century, according to the federal National Centers for Environmental Information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Glacial outburst' threatens Alaska city, prompts evacuations
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Alaska capital Juneau urged to evacuate as 'glacial outburst' flood looms
Because the flooding has been a growing concern, city officials have installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks. Emergency managers are urging many residents of Alaska's capital city of Juneau to evacuate as summer glacial flooding driven by climate change threatens to inundate the area. Authorities say flooding from the Mendenhall River will likely crest around 4 p.m. Alaska time on Aug. 13, or 8 p.m. Eastern. They hope two miles worth of emergency flood barriers they finished intalling last month will hold back the waters from Mendenhall Valley, where a majority of Juneau's 32,000 full-time residents live. "Residents are advised to evacuate the potential flood inundation area," City and Borough of Juneau officials said in a message Aug. 12. "Do not go near the river." Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also issued a preemptive disaster declaration, citing the devastation caused by "glacial outbursts" in both 2023 and 2024. As of noon Alaska time on Aug. 12, the Mendenhall River in Juneau had risen to 10 feet deep from its usual level of about 5 feet, crossing into "moderate" flood stage territory, the National Weather Service reported. The record set last year is 16 feet deep, and forecasters say the river could surpass that. Forecasters estimate 14.6 billion gallons of water were released during last year's flood, enough to fill more than 22,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to the weather service. Previous years floods have swamped basements, destroyed infrastructure and collapsed buildings near the riverbanks. A glacial outburst like this occurs when an ice dam holding back a lake - in this case Suicide Basin - collapses from the summer heat, releasing the water in a short period of time. Suicide Basin is part of the Mendenhall Glacier, a popular tourist destination easily reached from Juneau. Federal scientists say climate change is causing the glacier to melt faster, along with altering rainfall patterns, exacerbating the danger. The first recorded outburst flood from the glacier happened 2011, according to the National Weather Service. Because the flooding has been a growing concern for Juneau over the past several years, city officials with federal assistance installed emergency flood barriers along several miles of riverbanks in the areas deemed most at risk for being overtopped. Although the new barriers are designed to hold back a flood of this potential magnitude, officials have asked residents to evacuate as a precaution. Compared to the rest of the country, Alaska has warmed twice as fast over the last several decades, and its average annual temperature has risen 3.1 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century, according to the federal National Centers for Environmental Information.
