The heat wave that’s gripping much of the U.S. has resulted in several deaths, caused the cancellation of public events and left tens of thousands of people in New York and Michigan without power.
Why it matters: The heat wave threatens to smash records nationwide. The National Weather Service said in a tweet warning 147 million people in the Central and Eastern U.S. were under a heat advisory or excessive heat warning that “very warm overnight temperatures limit recovery from daytime heat.”
The big picture: The mayors of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., have declared heat emergencies. New York City and Baltimore issued Code Red Extreme Heat Alerts. The extreme heat has been blamed for at least 3 deaths in the U.S., NBC News reports.
In Arizona, the Thursday death of an air conditioning technician while working in a homeowner’s attic has been attributed to the heat, according to KPNX.
In Maryland, health officials attributed this week’s extreme heat to the deaths of a Prince George’s County man and a Worcester County woman, per NBC News. Earlier this month, a Baltimore City man and an Anne Arundel County woman died.
- In Baltimore, the city logged a heat index of 122 degrees early on Saturday evening. It’s one of several locations experiencing a heat index in the triple digits, including cities in the Midwest and East Coast., CBS News notes.
In Michigan, where many headed to the beach to cool off, more than 200,000 homes and businesses mostly in Washtenaw and Livingston counties were without electricity after storms, Michigan Live reports. South Haven Emergency Services said 2 people were rescued from the water, with 1 caught in a rip.
In New York, more than 9,000 customers lost power Saturday afternoon in Far Rockaway, Queens and on Long Island, according to PSEG Long Island.
- New York City authorities canceled a Times Square commemoration of the 1969 moon landing and an outdoor festival at which soccer star Megan Rapinoe, musician John Legend and “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah were due to appear, per AP.
In Washington, D.C., Medical crews were on standby at the National Mall, ready to treat heat-related illnesses at this weekend’s outdoor Apollo 11 festival, according to CBS News, which notes D.C. was amongseveral East Coast cities set for high heat and humidity that would make it feel like it’s over 100 degrees.
