Nearly 150 million people from the Midwest to the Atlantic coast are sweating through scorching temperatures, with New York declaring a heat emergency. At least six people have died, and many events have been canceled.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Advertisement
People across much of the Eastern and Central United States are facing dangerously hot weather, with major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington experiencing temperatures nearing 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).
The combination of "dangerously high temperatures" and humidity could "quickly cause heat stress or heatstroke if precautions are not taken," the National Weather Service (NWS) said.Read more:How a warmer Arctic could lead to more extreme weather
Temperatures remained high in the East Coast on Sunday, while the central parts of the country were relatively cooler. The National Weather Service however warned that the cooler weather settling in Monday and Tuesday would also bring severe storms and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding.
"We're almost near the end of the heat emergency. Temperatures will start to go back down tonight. But today's heat index could still be as high as 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius)," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted. "Please continue to take precautions. Keep hydrated and keep cool."
Ex-NFL player dies of heatstroke
The heat wave has reportedly killed at least six people, including Mitch Petrus, a former offensive lineman for the New York Giants. The 32-year-old died of heatstroke after working outside his family shop in Arkansas on Thursday.
Europe melts under heat wave
France topped its all-time heat record, a wildfire is burning up forests in northeastern Spain, and multiple countries have issued health alerts. How is Europe dealing with this blast of hot weather?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H.-C. Dittrich
New record in France
A pharmacy sign in Carpentras, a village in southeastern France, which shortly held the country's all-time heat record of 44.3 degrees on Friday. The record was topped again later in the afternoon in the southern village of Villevieille, 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the east, which measured a thermometer-busting 45.1 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Valasseris
Scorched forests in Catalonia, Spain
Local authorities said that improperly stored chicken dung at a farm in rural northeastern Spain spontaneously combusted in the extreme heat on Wednesday, unleashing a wildfire that continued to burn on into Friday. Temperatures in the area around the fire reached 41 Celsius on Friday (106 Fahrenheit), as more than 600 firefighters battle the blaze.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Barrena
Hot in the city of love
Denizens of Paris cool down in the Trocadero esplanade. Pavement absorbs heat and takes longer to cool off, which makes cities feel even hotter during a heat wave. Air conditioning is also uncommon in many cities in northern Europe, which can make being indoors unbearable, as buildings trap the heat. A 2003 heatwave in France killed 15,000 people.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/B. Samuel
Homeless at risk in Italy
A volunteer hands water to a homeless man in Milan, Italy, where the mercury has topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in recent days. A heat wave alert was issued Friday in Milan, and an elderly homeless man reportedly died from heatstroke in a park near city's main train station. The extreme temperatures in Italy are expected to ease over the weekend.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/L. Bruno
River bathing in Munich
Bathers lounge on the rocky banks of the Isar river in Munich on Thursday. Last weekend, dozens of women who were bathing topless on the Isar were ordered by police to cover up, sparking a debate on public nudity. Nude beaches are common throughout Germany. The banks of the Isar should be full this weekend, with temperatures in Munich expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel
Sorbet for polar bears
A polar bear cools off at the Hanover Zoo in Germany with a frozen sorbet. Zookeepers across Europe have been helping animals beat the heat with mixtures of fruit frozen in ice. Polar bears are also given frozen fish. On Thursday, France banned the transportation of live animals due to the extreme temperatures.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H.-C. Dittrich
Sahara heat in Europe
A weather pattern that has stuck over Europe for almost a week is channeling extremely hot air from the Sahara desert northward. The World Meteorological Association said 2019 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, and that heatwaves like the one currently scorching Europe are projected to happen more frequently.
Image: picture-alliance/united-archives/mcphoto
7 images1 | 7
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared a heat emergency, and city authorities have opened 500 cooling centers for residents.
The extreme weather conditions have also prompted officials to cancel the annual New York City Triathlon, scheduled for Sunday.
An outdoor festival in Central Park, OZY Fest, featuring soccer star Megan Rapinoe, musician John Legend and Daily Show host Trevor Noah, was also canceled, along with a Times Square event commemorating the 1969 moon landing.
Authorities in Boston, also on the East Coast, have made swimming in public pools free in an effort to combat the effects of the heat.
Several public events were also canceled in Washington and Chicago, including a 5K race. In July 1995, over 700 people died in Chicago during a three-day heat wave. Many of the dead were poor, elderly and lived alone.
The NWS has advised people to check on the sick and the elderly, drink plenty of water "even if you don't feel thirsty" and spend time in air-conditioned areas. On its website, the NWS also warned that "dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia," or overheating, each year.
