Hundreds of heat records set across U.S. this week
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Heat records were broken in more than 280 locations across the U.S. this week, with more extreme temperatures expected.
The big picture: The scorching heat wave sweeping through the Midwest and the East Coast has brought dangerous conditions to nearly 130 million people under extreme heat warnings or heat advisories on Thursday, according to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center.
- The extreme conditions are being driven by a "heat dome," with high pressure trapping warm, humid air over vast areas.
By the numbers: Some 282 locations in the U.S. broke daily heat records this week, while another 121 tied previous highs, NOAA data shows.
- Springfield, Ohio set an all-time heat record of 104 on Tuesday, toppling the 101 record it set the day prior. The previous heat record of 101 had stood since August 22, 1983, per NOAA data.
- Bumfield Lake, Mass. also set an all-time record on Tuesday of 100 degrees. The previous record, set in 1991, was 98.
- Lebanon, New Hampshire and Island Pond, Vermont also tied their previous all-time highs on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Lebanon reached 99 degrees, while Island Pond topped out at 91.
Zoom in: New daily heat records were set in at least 50 cities in the Eastern U.S. on Tuesday alone, according to the National Weather Service.
- Tuesday was New York City's hottest day since 2012, according to NOAA.
- Baltimore City, Maryland saw a record high of 105 degrees, breaking a record of 101 set in 2010, per NWS.
- Newark, New Jersey, meanwhile, surpassed the daily high temperature set back in 1966 at 103 degrees Tuesday.
What we're watching: A prolonged and intense heat wave is expected to continue into Friday from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, per NOAA.
- Heat advisories remained in place in more than a dozen states Thursday, including parts of North Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and New Jersey.
More from Axios:
