Millions of Americans will still be under heat alerts as of Sunday as a record-breaking heat wave has swept into the central and eastern US after first impacting the West Coast.
This Tuesday alone, cities on the east coast including Baltimore and Washington, DC will be plunged into temperatures as hot as 100F (38C). New York City has a forecasted heat index between 95 and 100F from Monday to Wednesday. Meanwhile, temperatures in the western US will cool and fall to their averages for the month.
Over 245 million Americans will experience temperatures of 90F between Sunday and Wednesday this week, and at least 30 million will experience temperatures of 100F or higher, The Guardian reported citing AccuWeather.
“Numerous near record-tying/breaking high temperatures are possible over the central High Plains and Southeast Sunday, and along much of the East Coast by Monday,” the National Weather Service said.
Thus far, the heat wave has set dozens of records and been linked to at least 30 fatalities in the West as heat deaths are typically underreported. In California's Santa Clara County, the medical examiner’s office is investigating at least 18 suspected heat-related deaths for this month.
This year in Phoenix, Arizona the average temperature for the month of June was the hottest ever recorded for the city, with low temperatures at night staying in the 90s F (higher than 32C). And as of June 29, the number of possible heat-related deaths for the city skyrocketed to 175, that's a 84% increase since the same period last year.
This year was the hottest ever June on record with 14.5% of the globe reporting record heat - that’s nearly twice the amount as June of last year, when 7.4% of the world’s surface reported the same.
“Keep in mind that the elderly, small children, people on medication, or with weight or alcohol problems are most susceptible to heat related stresses,” cautioned the National Weather Service ahead of the heatwave shifting to the east.
“This is especially true during a heatwave in areas where a more moderate climate prevails, such as Wisconsin. It’s a good idea to periodically check in with those most susceptible to the heat and help them obtain relief from the extreme heat and humidity.”