More than 69 million people are under warnings and warnings of heat along the east coast. Temperatures will stabilize in the 1990s for much of the region, and heat rates will rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some heavily populated areas.
Norfolk, Virginia will see a high of 102, with a heat index going up to 114. In the mid-Atlantic, Washington, DC, will feel like 108 and the Philadelphia heat index will hit 105. Further north, expected Boston reaches a heat index of 102 today and New York City is expected to feel as hot as 100.
The heat index refers to how the temperature feels, as opposed to what it really is. Heat indices are calculated using relative humidity percentage and temperature.
Humidity can increase temperature, and inhibit sweat evaporation. If the body cannot cool down by evaporating sweat, the temperatures will feel higher. As in Norfolk today, an actual temperature of 102 can feel like 114 when considering a relative humidity of 40%.
Temperatures in the 1990s are expected to last until the middle of the week, and high humidity levels will keep it even warmer. The colder air will move to the northern region later in the week, bringing some relief.
The weekend heat reached or broke records that, in some areas, were decades old. Pittsfield, Massachusetts reached 93 yesterday, the first time the city has seen such high temperatures on July 19 since 1930.
While intense heat itself is dangerous, prolonged periods of intense heat add health risks.
“Temperatures must drop at least 80 degrees for your body to recover from the intense heat of the day,” says CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar. “People can lose up to 2 liters of fluid overnight by sweating if temperatures don’t drop below 85 degrees Fahrenheit.”
For now, nighttime lows along the east coast are expected to remain in the mid-1970s, allowing for brief relief from the heat.
These high temperatures are in line with what may become one of the hottest July on record in the continental United States.
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