Topline
More than 85 million Americans live in areas under excessive heat warnings, the National Weather Service said Sunday, as an “extremely oppressive” heat wave across much of the southern and northeastern United States continues to drive up temperatures.
Dawn Blair and Jennifer Pagan enjoy jumping through an open fire hydrant in The Bronx section of New … [+]
Key Facts
A heat advisory remains in place across the New York metropolitan area as temperatures are expected to reach near-record levels on Sunday, with a high of 92 degrees and a heat index of 104 degrees forecasted in New York City, the NWS said.
In Texas, the regions around Houston, Austin and San Antonio are likely to record temperatures over 100 degrees on Sunday, while one region near the state’s border with Mexico could get as hot as 106 degrees, the agency said.
Boston is projected to reach temperatures as high as 99 degrees Sunday, which the NWS said would break the 1933 record for the city’s highest temperature on July 24, set in 1933 (by late Sunday morning, temperatures in the Boston area were already approaching the mid-90s, according to the NWS).
Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are also under heat advisories, with highs in the region of almost 100 degrees and heat indexes in the two cities and surrounding areas expected to reach between 100 and 107 degrees on Sunday.
A heat advisory is also in place in Memphis, Tennessee, though Sunday evening, with a projected high of 97 degrees on Sunday, though the NWS noted that projected rain showers may help bring temperatures down in the northern part of the city.
St. Louis, Missouri, could reach a high temperature of 102 degrees on Sunday, according to the NWS, but the agency noted that temperatures over the next week are projected to plunge to the 80s, ending a string of hot days for the city.
What To Watch For
The Pacific Northwest could face scorching temperatures later this week, according to the NWS. The agency has issued excessive heat watches for the areas surrounding Portland, Oregon, and in Seattle temperatures could reach highs in the 90s this week. Heat waves in the Pacific Northwest are particularly dangerous because air conditioning is less common.
Key Background
Experts say climate change is a major contributor to the heat wave gripping much of the country. Last week, President Joe Biden said he would take executive action on climate change, calling it “an existential threat to our nation and to the world.” The Senate previously failed to reach a deal on climate and energy legislation after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) told Democrats he would refuse to support any legislation that includes spending or tax increases.
Surprising Fact
A record-breaking heat wave has also gripped countries across Europe and Asia this summer. At least five countries across western Europe marked new all-time high temperatures over the past month, including the United Kingdom, and Taiwan and Hong Kong also set records.
Further Reading
Week Of Heat: These Major Temperature Records Were Shattered In Scorching Heat Waves (Forbes)
Biden Promises Executive Action On Climate After Manchin Thwarts Legislation (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/24/sunday-heat-wave-scorches-these-us-cities-from-st-louis-to-new-york/