ISTANBUL
A dangerous heat wave has struck the East Coast in the US, striking cities with the most intense heat on Tuesday, before cooler conditions are set to arrive later this week.
This is the season’s first major heat wave, with extreme heat warnings and advisories affecting over 150 million people from Texas to Maine, covering the entire Interstate 95 highway corridor, ABC News reported.
Several Northeastern cities enduring the current heat wave, including Boston, Providence, and Newark, saw their hottest June temperatures on record Tuesday afternoon.
Boston reached 102 Fahrenheit (38.8 Celcius) Tuesday, breaking its all-time June record of 100F (37.7C), previously set in 2021, 1952, and 1925. The city last hit 100F in July 2022.
Providence, Rhode Island hit 100F (37.8C) on Tuesday, surpassing its previous all-time June high of 98F (36.6C), last recorded in 1945.
Newark matched its record for the hottest June temperature, hitting 103F (39.4C).
In New York City, the temperature reached 99F (37.2C) in Central Park – falling short of a June record but marking the city's hottest day since July 2012.
Philadelphia hit 100F on Tuesday for the first time since 2012.
Extreme heat warnings continued across the Northeast – including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC – as temperatures soared into the triple digits.
On Monday, daily heat records were broken in Philadelphia at 99F, Baltimore 104F (40C), and Raleigh, North Carolina with 100F.
Passenger rail service Armtrak warned that some Northeast trains could be delayed due to heat-related speed limits. Armtrak imposes the restrictions when air temperatures rise above 95F (35C) and track temperatures hit 128F (53.3C).
New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged downstate residents Tuesday to conserve energy until 10 pm as the power grid neared peak capacity.
"Earlier this evening the New York Independent System Operator warned that we are approaching peak capacity in the downstate region and it is critical to conserve electricity,” she said.
"That means setting window air conditioning units to 76F (24.4C) and avoiding unnecessary appliance use.”
