Recent weeks have seen a prolonged period of extremely high temperatures across most parts of the United States, with many regions from the East Coast to the West Coast expected to remain sweltering under a heatwave this week. Numerous areas have already set record high temperatures, triggering health warnings for air quality, with over 100 million people in the U.S. still under heat advisories.
The National Weather Service in the United States reported on Tuesday that more than 130 million people along the West Coast, East Coast, southeast Texas, and southern Florida received heat advisories. Due to the risk of wildfires, large parts of the western U.S. have been issued with the extremely dangerous “Red Flag Warning.”
The department also stated that on Tuesday afternoon, the heat index in Central Park, New York City, reached 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 degrees Celsius). Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey recorded a heat index of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius). Air quality health advisories issued by local authorities in the New York City metropolitan area and downstream Hudson River region were in effect until 11 p.m. that day.
It is reported that at least seven people have died from the intense heat in the western U.S. The Medical Examiner’s Office in Maricopa County, Arizona, stated that there have been five suspected heat-related deaths in the state since last Friday (July 5), with the exact causes of death still under investigation.
In Death Valley, renowned as one of the hottest places on Earth in the western U.S., a record-breaking temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) was recorded for two consecutive days starting from last Sunday (July 7). This extreme heat led to the death of a motorcyclist due to excessive exposure, while another fellow rider was hospitalized for severe heatstroke.
According to NBC affiliate KCRA, a 58-year-old man in Sacramento died from heatstroke last Sunday.
The National Weather Service in the U.S. forecasted that the extreme heatwave would continue to impact the West Coast over the next few days and gradually move eastward, with the potential for several areas to break single-day high temperature records.