Extreme East Coast Heatwave Grips Millions Across U.S.
Eastern U.S. suburbs swelter under record-breaking temperatures, with cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, and Washington D.C. experiencing triple-digit heat and oppressive humidity driven by a persistent heat dome.
- On Tuesday, New York City hit 100 °F (38 °C), the first since 2013, and each coastal state from Maine to South Carolina recorded highs of 100 °F.
- Nearly 150–170 million people remain under heat advisories, with over 600 high-temperature records broken, including historic highs in Philadelphia (104 °F) and Newark (103 °F) .
- The excessive heat has strained power grids, caused Amtrak delays, forced bridge speed restrictions, and overwhelmed infrastructure, buckling roads and prompting travel disruptions, even straining energy supplies in cities like New York and Massachusetts.
🔁 Reactions:
- National Weather Service: “This is an extremely dangerous heat dome. Stay cool and check on neighbours.”
- Public (Twitter user): > “My AC died in Queens and power cut — no relief at all!”
📰 Bias Snapshot:
- AP/Reuters/The Guardian offer precise reporting on temperature records, health impacts, and infrastructure disruption without sensationalism .
- New York Post highlights the human drama, firefighters suffering heat exhaustion, lightning injuries, and public coping methods .
- Environmental outlets link the intensity and frequency of these heatwaves to anthropogenic climate change and its worsening effects (theguardian.com).
📊 Sentiment: Negative. The extreme heat poses real health risks, disrupts daily life, and reveals the fragility of infrastructure under climate-driven extremes. The expected drop in temperatures by Friday offers relief—but only briefly, as warming trends persist.