A stifling heat began to affect millions of people in the northeastern United States this Tuesday (06/18/2024), forcing people and even zoo animals to find places to cool off at the gates of summer, in what promises It could be a sweltering week that could break temperature records, 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 northeast went on alert due to the heat wave that, according to forecasts, will be long and with maximum temperatures that will approach 40 degrees Celsius and will affect more than 73 million people.
In its latest update, the United States Weather Service (NWS) said that “widespread daily records for daytime heat are likely, with the possibility of some monthly records.”
He also warned that “the early arrival of heat, its persistence for several days and light winds will increase the danger beyond what the exact temperature values would suggest.”
The regions most affected by the heat wave from this Tuesday and during the next few days will be the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Valley and New England.
A heat wave not seen in Chicago for 90 years
Chicago has not 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, considered extreme, according to the NWS, so 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 on Tuesday canceled field trips to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, where workers turned on water misters for visitors and placed ice chips in the pools of elephants and other animals.
In the coming days other major 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 recommended people “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 whenever possible and contacting family members and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.
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