New York – A third day of unseasonable heat blistered the eastern half of the country Thursday.
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Relief was on the way in the Northeast, however, as an approaching cold front triggered evening thunderstorms. Tens of thousands lost power in parts of New England as the storms passed through.
The persistent heat has been blamed for at least seven deaths from the Plains to the East Coast, where authorities prepared emergency rooms and encouraged neighbors to check on the elderly as temperatures soared above 100 in spots.
Some Northeastern schools canceled classes or closed early for a second day Thursday so students would not have to suffer with no air conditioning. Cooling centers opened in Chicago, Memphis, Tenn., Newark, N.J., and other cities as a refuge for those without air conditioning.
In New Jersey, records of 102 degrees were recorded at the Newark and Atlantic City airports, beating their respective previous records of 99 degrees and 98 degrees set in 2008. The temperature also reached 102 degrees at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, matching a record set in 1874. Philadelphia hit 99 degrees, one degree higher than a record set in 1933.
“I’d love to be indoors, but I don’t make any money that way,” said Jose Serrano, a landscape worker cutting lawns and trimming bushes in Toms River, N.J. “When it comes to working in these conditions, you just do what you have to do, you know?”
In Paterson, N.J., Dr. Mark Rosenberg of St. Joseph’s Hospital said more than a dozen patients were treated there Wednesday for heat-related illnesses.
Authorities have blamed the heat for deaths of seven people in Tennessee, Maryland, Wisconsin and Missouri in recent days. Officials on New York’s Long Island reminded people to check on their relatives and friends, especially the elderly.
Outdoor activities challenged residents in the Northeast, where extreme heat this early in the season — summer’s official beginning is still more than a week away — is rare.
Temps boiled up to the 90s around the Tri-State.
A cold front is expected to slide south later Thursday, producing showers and a few strong thunderstorms.
The cold front will bring a change to the pattern, with temperatures cooling into the 80s tomorrow and the 70s by the weekend. Highs may barely make it back to the mid 70s.
Some shower activity is expected with the cooler temperatures, however. Both Saturday and Sunday run the risk of scattered showers, but the rain is likely to be more frequent on Saturday
The had the AC cranked up so high in shul everyone couldn’t wait to get done with davening so they could get home and warm up. What ever happened to energy conservation.
Meanwhile we’ve tied the wettest year on record in the Northwest. Weather is getting more extreme and less predictable all over the world.
Regarding the complaints about the excessive heat, what did our grandparents do when there was no air conditioning? People used to svitz in the heat, but they didn’t complain as much as people do today!
Good weather for shtreimels. I was walking to shul in my khaki pants and white summer fedora, while the more “frum” yidden in their black wool suits and hats were scowling at me. Seriously, this weather could easily trigger a heart attack. People need to put on lighter colors and thinner suits for the summer.
This weather was for the books this yom tov! Taliking about cutting electricity they sure must have cut the electric .every house i went to including my own was not as cool as it should be! they do it to save us from worse problems ! not complaining but dont say they didnt cut it!!