NEW YORK – A massive heat dome that sparked the first major heat wave of the summer brought record-breaking temperatures to cities from the Midwest to the Northeast this week, but some much-needed relief from the extreme weather is on the horizon.
Officials across the eastern half of the U.S. urged people to prepare and take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses as temperatures skyrocketed.
Still, it wasn’t only the heat that proved to be dangerous.
On Monday, a group of 20 people, including children, were cooling off in a South Carolina lake when they were suddenly struck by lightning as a thunderstorm swept through Lexington.
It was also a dangerous day for firefighters in Massachusetts, who not only had to battle flames, but also the elements.
The Norfolk Police Department said a three-alarm fire broke out at a home on Main Street on Tuesday morning, and two firefighters needed to be taken to a local hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion.
Plattsburgh, New York, tied its old record of 101 degrees, and Newark, New Jersey, hit 103 degrees, breaking its daily record and tying its monthly record.
Boston soared to 102 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, and Philadelphia hit 101 degrees. That’s the first time Philadelphia has hit 100 degrees since July 18, 2012.
In total, the FOX Forecast Center said temperatures topped 100 degrees in 13 states, while records from North Carolina to Maine fell.
In the Southeast, the Department of Energy issued an emergency order amid surging power demand to help mitigate the risk of blackouts. The order authorized Duke Energy Carolina to utilize resources to operate at its maximum output levels in the extreme heat.
“As electricity demand reaches its peak, Americans should not be forced to wonder if their power grid can support their homes and businesses,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy will use all tools available to maintain a reliable, affordable, and secure energy system for the American people. This order ensures Duke Energy Carolinas can supply its customers with consistent and reliable power throughout peak summer demand.”
The emergency order remains in effect through Wednesday.
Shelters were opened in Middleborough, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, after a town-wide power outage plunged thousands of utility customers into darkness as temperatures soared.
Town officials said power went out late Tuesday afternoon, and the Nichols Middle School was opened for residents and their pets to seek safety from the extreme heat. Power was restored just before 9 p.m., but the town’s library remained open until 11 p.m. for residents to stay cool.
Con Edison said crews worked around the clock in hot conditions to restore power to customers in the Bronx in New York City and even handed out dry ice to their customers.
Eversource also asked its customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire to be aware of their energy usage.
“While high electricity usage during a heat wave can put a strain on the electric system, the energy company is prepared to meet the increased demand, and its crews are ready to respond to any outages or issues that may arise,” the company said.
Heat alerts remain in effect from the Midwest to New England, but many of the Extreme Heat Warnings – the most dire heat alert – have been reduced to Heat Advisories.
More than 102 million Americans remain under a Heat Advisory, while just over 25 million remain in an Extreme Heat Warning. This includes cities like Wilmington and Raleigh in North Carolina, Richmond in Virginia and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
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Washington, New York City and Boston have been placed under a Heat Advisory.
Temperatures will once again get into the mid- to upper 90s on Wednesday along the Interstate 95 corridor on the East Coast, but relief is on the way.
New York City, for example, has a forecast high temperature of about 96 degrees on Wednesday afternoon, but on Thursday, the forecast high temperature is only expected to be about 80 degrees.
Friday will feel even cooler, with a forecast high of 68 degrees.
In the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, temperatures are expected to remain in the 90s for the rest of the workweek.
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