2024-06-19 03:42:29
People try to relieve the heat in the waters of the Michigan River in the city of Chicago, which broke the temperature record on Monday in 1957 with a maximum of 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit).
More than 70 million people in the north-east of the country were put on alert due to high temperatures.
Stifling heat began to affect millions of people in the northeast United States of America This Tuesday (06/18/2024), forcing people and even animals in zoos to find places to cool off at the gates of summer, in a sweltering week that could break temperature records, the authorities warned.
Extreme heat advisories spread from Iowa to Ohio and Michigan, canceling youth sports camps, nature walks and festivals across the region.
Several cities in the north-east went on alert because of the heat wave which, according to forecasts, will be long and with maximum temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius and will affect more than 73 million people.
In its latest update, the United States Weather Service (NWS) stated that “widespread daily records for daytime heat are likely, and some monthly records may be set.”
He also warned that “the early arrival of heat, its persistence for several days and light winds will increase the risk beyond what the exact temperature values would indicate.”
The regions most affected by the heat wave from this Tuesday and in the coming days are the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Valley and New England.
A public fountain welcomed many children in Brooklyn, New York, as temperatures began to rise in the northwestern United States due to an early heat wave. Image: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/picture Alliance
A heat wave not seen in Chicago in 90 years
Chicago hasn’t seen a heat wave this early since 1933, Illinois’ chief climatologist noted in X.
This Tuesday, the city is at level 4 – out of a maximum of 4 – risk, which is considered extreme, according to the NWS, and therefore air-conditioned areas have been enabled for the public.
Chicago on Monday broke a temperature record set in 1957 with a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius).
Other cities in that same category are Cincinnati or Toledo, in Ohio; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; or Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In New York, schools canceled field trips to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse on Tuesday, where workers turned on water misters for visitors and put ice chips in the pools of elephants and other animals.
In the coming days, other big cities such as Washington, Detroit (Michigan), Cleveland or Columbus (Ohio), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Indianapolis (Indiana) or Nashville (Tennessee) will also reach that level.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul advised people to “stay hydrated, avoid excessive outdoor activity and, if necessary, visit a nearby climate shelter.”
Much of the Midwest and Northeast were under heat warnings, and officials urged limiting outdoor activities when possible and contacting family members and neighbors who may be at risk from the heat.
jc (afp, efe)
#early #heat #wave #disappears #United #States