New York City and the Northeast are in for their hottest day of the year as oppressive temperatures descend on the eastern and central US, affecting about half the country’s population.
Thursday’s high in New York, where an excessive heat warning is in effect, will reach into the mid- to upper 90s and humidity temperatures will feel closer to 106F (41C), the National Weather Service said. Washington’s high is forecast at 99 on Thursday and 100 Friday, while Newark might see 98 both days and Philadelphia will be 97 and 99 respectively.
In addition to the heat, the Northeast could get swept by thunderstorms later on Thursday, just in time for the afternoon commute, said Scott Kaplan, a meteorologist with Hometown Forecast Services, which provides forecasts for Bloomberg Radio.
"It was 93 in Central Park on July 5 and we should at least top that for the next three days,” Kaplan said.
Sweltering conditions stretch coast to coast, with about 170 million people under excessive heat warnings and advisories. High temperatures tax power grids as people turn to air conditioning to beat the heat. They can also slow transportation, causing problems for aircraft and as railroads impose speed restrictions.
Overnight, PJM Interconnection LLC, the largest US grid, declared a level one emergency for its 13-state system in the east of the country, signaling it’s concerned about being able to maintain adequate power reserves on July 27 as consumers and businesses turn up their air conditioners. The California Independent System operator also issued a warning of a potential power supply shortfall.
The southern US has sweltered under the worst heat so far this summer, with a massive high-pressure system baking the area from Southern California to Florida for weeks.
The focus of the worst heat has shifted into the central US from the Great Plains to Midwest. For the Northeast, it’s a combination of that high pressure system and a second in the Atlantic called the Bermuda High that’s pumping high temperatures into the Interstate-95 corridor.
