Around 238 million people face dangerous temperatures as extreme heat spreads across the eastern United States.
A heat wave that has battered the U.S. Midwest in recent days has expanded to the East Coast, leaving about 238 million people—roughly 70% of the country’s population—under dangerous heat alerts on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
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The highest-level heat alerts are in effect across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Alabama and Mississippi.
Forecasters expect the heat wave to persist through the Fourth of July holiday weekend, combining oppressive humidity with temperatures that could challenge records across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
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New York City is forecast to reach a high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), with the heat index climbing to 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius), which would make it the city’s hottest day in more than a decade.
Washington, D.C., and nearby Baltimore are also expected to come close to their respective all-time heat records, with forecast highs of 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius).
With air conditioning demand expected to reach record levels, authorities have taken steps to safeguard the stability of electricity grids across the eastern United States. Large energy consumers, including data centers, have been instructed to help reduce pressure on the power system to prevent supply disruptions.
Earlier this week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright instructed grid operators to require major electricity users to switch to emergency generators, if necessary, to ease strain on the electrical network.
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