It’s a scorcher!
The U.S. Midwest and Northeast are being seared by a heat wave with dangerously high temperatures, taxing power grids and putting the health of people and animals at risk.
Parts of the U.S. that rarely experience temperatures surpassing the 100-degree mark may see them this week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Above-average temperatures that toasted much of the central and eastern U.S. on Wednesday are expected to last through the week, the weather service said,
Humidity levels will make parts of the region feel hotter than Death Valley, Accuweather.com said. New York City, Philadelphia and Washington have declared heat emergencies.
Related: Impact of global heat wave
28 PHOTOSImpact of global heat wave — June 2017See GalleryImpact of global heat wave — June 2017
A man jumps from a bridge into the Limmat river during hot temperatures in Zurich, Switzerland June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A child plays in a fountain of water to cool off from the heat at the Miroir d’Eau (Mirror of Water), in Nantes as unusually high temperatures hit France, June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Boys swim in a stream during a heatwave in Islamabad, Pakistan June 5, 2017. REUTERS/Caren Firouz TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A child cools off from the heat at the Miroir d’Eau (Mirror of Water), in Nantes as unusually high temperatures hit France, June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
People enjoy a sunny afternoon at Lake Leman during a heat wave in Lausanne, Switzerland June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
NEW DELHI, INDIA – JUNE 4: Boys jump into a water channel to get relief from heat wave conditions on a hot sunny day, on June 4, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Central India and North Western plains are still wrapped under intense heat-wave conditions. Temperatures are likely to reach around 48C. (Photo by Burhaan Kinu/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
People sit on chairs outside their house to avoid the heat on the first night of the summer during a heatwave in Setenil de las Bodegas, southern Spain, June 21, 2017. Picture taken June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A man jumps in to the lake Chiemsee near the small Bavarian village Chieming, southern Germany, in front of the Alp mountain Kampenwand during hot summer weather with temperatures by 33 degrees on June 22, 2017./ AFP PHOTO / Christof STACHE(Photo credit should read CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images)
WHIPSNADE, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 21: Barasinga and Pere David deer cool down on the hottest day of the year at ZSL Whipsnade on June 21, 2017 in Whipsnade, England.PHOTOGRAPH BY Tony Margiocchi /Barcroft ImagesLondon-T:+44 207 033 1031 E:[email protected] -New York-T:+1 212 796 2458 E:[email protected] -New Delhi-T:+91 11 4053 2429 E:[email protected] www.barcroftimages.com (Photo credit should read Tony Margiocchi /Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
A man and a boy wash and cool off their dog with the water of an opened fire hydrant in Pantin near Porte de La Villette, north of Paris, on June 21, 2017./ AFP PHOTO / Laurent EMMANUEL(Photo credit should read LAURENT EMMANUEL/AFP/Getty Images)
Los Angeles County fire fighting helicopter refilling water at a parking lot during the Castaic Lake fire in Castaic, California on June 17, 2017.Firefighters battle several wildfires in Southern California as the region is hit with the first major heat wave of the summer. (Photo by Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A tourist uses an umbrella to cover from the sun and a fan, decorated with bullfighting paintings, to cool off herself as she walks in Alameda del Tajo park during a heatwave in Ronda, Spain, June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
People relax as they float in their dinghies during hot temperatures down the Limmat river in Zurich, Switzerland June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
People row rental boats at Retiro park during a heatwave in Madrid, Spain, June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Susana Vera
People enjoy a sunny afternoon at Lake Leman during a heat wave in Lausanne, Switzerland June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
A bear cub and its mother bear eats fruits chilled by ice on a hot day at an amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, June 21, 2017.REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Tourists shield themselves with umbrellas on a hot day at the Merlion Park in Singapore June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A lion plays with balloons filled with water on a hot day at an amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, June 21, 2017.REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A tourist uses an electric handheld fan to cool herself next to a statue of a bull outside a bullring during a heatwave in Ronda, near Malaga, Spain June 15, 2017. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
An elephant sprays water to cool itself on a hot day at an amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, June 21, 2017.REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
A young man jumps into the river Aare on June 21, 2017 in Bern.Europe sizzled in a continent-wide heatwave with London bracing for Britain’s hottest June day since 1976 as Portugal battled to stamp out deadly forest fires. Cooler weather was aiding their efforts, but thermometers were still hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) — a level matched across oven-like swathes of Europe, including Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and even alpine Switzerland. / AFP PHOTO / Fabrice COFFRINI(Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 21: People sunbathe in Hamsptead Heath, London, United Kingdom on June 21, 2017. Today a heatwave bringing the hottest June day for 40 years is hitting the whole UK with temperatures reaching 40C. (Photo by Isabel Infantes/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
A boy rests in a sculpture in a children’s playground in the center of Ukrainian capital of Kiev on June 21, 2017 as Europe sizzled in a continent-wide heatwave.Thermometers were still hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) — a level matched across oven-like swathes of Europe, including Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and even alpine Switzerland. / AFP PHOTO / SERGEI SUPINSKY(Photo credit should read SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
A girl stands in the Duinrell amusement park on June 21, 2017 in Wassenaar as Europe sizzled in a continent-wide heatwave.Thermometers were still hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) — a level matched across oven-like swathes of Europe, including Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and even alpine Switzerland. / AFP PHOTO / ANP / Koen van Weel / Netherlands OUT(Photo credit should read KOEN VAN WEEL/AFP/Getty Images)
BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND – JUNE 19:A holidaymaker enjoys the sun on Blackpool’s North Pier on June 19, 2017 in Blackpool, England. The UK has officially been put on heatwave alert as the Government issued a level three amber heat warning as temperatures are set to increase. In some parts of the Uk temperatures are expected to peak at 34C.(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
People sunbathnear the Trocadero fountain in Paris, on June 19, 2017, as the French capital is placed on heatwave alert as temperatures are set to soar in the coming days./ AFP PHOTO / LUDOVIC MARIN(Photo credit should read LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images)
LAHORE, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN – 2017/06/04: Pakistani people taking bath in the canal water to beat the heat and get some relief from the extremely hot weather during eighth day of the holy month of Ramzan ul Mubarak. Maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius in Lahore was recorded. Experts have forecast the prevailing harsh weather conditions to persist during the next week; sizzling heat forced the people to stay indoors, decreasing traffic on otherwise busy roads at noon and in the afternoon. (Photo by Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
GURUGRAM, INDIA – JUNE 4: Social activists distribute drinking water to passenger at Gurgaon Railway Station as temperature rises 47 degree Celsius, on June 4, 2017 in Gurugram, India. Central India and North Western plains are still wrapped under intense heat-wave conditions. Temperatures are likely to reach around 48C. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Up Next
See Gallery
“A scorching heat wave will consume about two-thirds of the country mid to late week into the weekend,” the National Weather Service wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “About a total of 20 to 30 record highs are possible this Friday and Saturday, from the Front Range of the south-central Rockies to the East Coast.”
“The heat and the humidity will combine to create dangerous heat indices,” the NWS said. “The next couple of days are just the beginning, as heat is expected to worsen over the weekend.”
Moisture from now-tropical storm Barry was causing thunderstorms and flooding in some areas.
The NWS issued Excessive Heat Warnings and Watches throughout much of the Plains, the Mississippi Valley, the Ohio Valley, and parts of the Eastern Seaboard.
The NWS warned of a “true summer heat wave,” with “highs in the 90s and triple digits combined with humidity and dewpoints surging into the upper 70s, if not low 80s, will create heat indices as high as 110 to 115 through this weekend. Air quality will likely be poor due to haze and little air circulation.”
Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, New York and other cities may well register three days’ of temperatures between 95 and 100 degrees, The Washington Post reported.
Almost 90% of Americans – about 290 million – will see temperatures of at least 90 degrees in the coming week and into the weekend, USA Today reported.
The relative humidity will boost the heat index so it feels even hotter, the NWS said. Throughout the weekend into Monday that index will range from 90 to 111.
Localities around the country opened cooling centers and warned residents to stay indoors. New York City said that 500 cooling centers would be available.
Summer school classes in some parts of affected areas have been cancelled.
Intense heat can cause heat exhaustion that can lead to heatstroke and other health problems.
“People should avoid strenuous activity during the peak of the heat and when the sun is high in the sky,” Accuweather said. “Be sure to stay hydrated by consuming non-alcoholic fluids at regular intervals. Heat kills more people on an annual basis than any other weather factor.”
Animals can be seriously affected by the heat. Dogs should not be left in parked cars or unsupervised around a pool, the ASPCA said.
Source: Read Full Article