Worst of East Coast Heat Wave Currently Gripping Northeast

By Heather Buchman, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather.com reports people across the East will continue suffering through a dangerous heat wave over the next few days. Humidity levels will continue rising as temperatures soar well into the 90s and even 100s throughout the region.
In addition to putting stress on people and their health, the intense heat will also place a higher demand on power grids due increased usage of air conditioning. Power outages could result in some communities, putting people at an even greater risk for developing heat-related illnesses.
New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., are among the cities currently in the core of the heat. Temperatures have already reached 100 in New York City, Richmond and Washington, D.C., this afternoon and will get there soon in Philadelphia.
This is the first time in almost nine years that temperatures have hit the triple digits in New York City’s Central Park and at Philadelphia International Airport. The last time both of these locations reached the 100-degree mark was in August of 2001.
It’s been an area of high pressure shifting across the East since this past weekend that is now pumping the hot, humid air northeastward into the region.
As this high weakens and shifts farther south Wednesday into the end of the week, temperatures will start trending downward across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic as the core of the heat shifts into the Carolinas. Humidity, however, will continue increasing in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures, which provide a measure of how hot it will feel with humidity factored in, will still rise into the 100s in New York through Wednesday and in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., through at least Thursday.
People are advised to drink plenty of water and spend as much time in air-conditioned places as possible. Avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially during the afternoon and early evening hours. Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle. With this increase in humidity, the drop in temperatures will be hardly noticeable.