By Adriana Navarro, AccuWeather staff writer
Heat has already been blamed for the deaths of at least three peoplelate last week, and more lives are in jeopardy with excessive heat warnings and advisories stretching from eastern Kansas and Oklahoma to Maine and South Carolina on Sunday.
More than 100 residents were evacuated to a local high school shortly after 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday from a senior center in New Jersey after the building lost power and air conditioning during the extreme heat wave. No injuries have been reported, according to WPVI-TV.
Before the weekend began, the mayors of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., declared heat emergencies and both New York City and Baltimore issued Code Red Extreme Heat Alerts. The heat emergencies are expected to end either on Sunday or Monday unless canceled or further extended.
"The temperatures we're seeing in our city [this weekend] could be the highest we've seen in years. Take it seriously," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged his city in Twitter post Saturday afternoon.
Heat emergencies typically involve the opening of cooling centers, the extension of public swimming pool hour and cities often implement special measures to keep residents safe.
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Andrew Cashner wipes sweat off his forehead on Sunday in Baltimore, where the National Weather Service says there is an "oppressive and dangerous" heat wave. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Police in Braintree, Massachusetts, asked people to hold off on committing crimes until after the heat wave passes.
“Folks. Due to the extreme heat, we are asking anyone thinking of doing criminal activity to hold off until Monday,” the department wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. The post has gained more than 120,000 shares since Friday.
The sentiments were echoed by the Pelham Police Department in New Hampshire.
"Due to the extreme heat, the Pelham Police Department is officially canceling (sic) all criminal activity for today. It is just too hot to be outside committing crimes. We are asking all aspiring criminals, seasoned veterans, and those who find themselves committing crimes out of boredom, to please stay indoors," the department wrote in a Facebook post late Friday afternoon.
Several locations across the mid-Atlantic reached the 100 F degree mark on Sunday, with several more locations falling a degree short.
The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature at the nearby airport in Nashua, New Hampshire, reached the century mark for the third consecutive day on Sunday.
Widespread triple-digit AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures were creating dangerous conditions for residents and visitors across the mid-Atlantic, including at all of the major cities along the I-95 corridor, before noon EDT on Sunday.
"The actual high of 100 F in Baltimore on Saturday was the city's first triple-digit reading since July 25, 2016," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
"While the heat has been extreme during the daylight hours, the nights have offered no relief," she added.
The "low" temperature in Boston on Sunday morning sat at 83 F. For comparison, the average high for the day is 82 F.
Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, reached 100 by 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday. The record high for July 21 was set back in 1991 at 101 F.
"A westerly wind also sent the heat surging across Massachusetts' Cape Cod on Sunday," Pydynowski said. "Temperatures soared into the lower 90s at Chatham, where a high in the middle 70s is more common this time of year."
Atlantic City hit 100 F on Sunday, breaking a record from 1981 of 99 F.
Many records came close to beating the record high temperatures on Sunday, but ended up tying previous records instead. Bridgeport, Connecticut, tied a record high of 98 F, last set in 1991. Also, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, hit 99 F, tying a record from 1991.
From the Northeast to New Mexico, at least seven record high temperatures fell on Saturday. More records are expected to change in the Northeast before the heat wave ends by Monday.
New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport soared to 99 on Saturday, which broke the daily record of 96 set in 2013 and 1991.
Saturday night, Pittsburgh International Airport recorded an off-hour (an observation that occurs in between the standard top of the hour readings) dew point of 80 degrees F. According to the National Weather Service, the airport has only recorded one hourly dew point of 80 degrees F since 1948, which was on July 18, 1952.
In central Pennsylvania, Harrisburg and Altoona set daily records for the highest low temperature on Saturday. The temperature in Harrisburg only dropped to 79, breaking the previous record from 2015. The day's average high is 86, for perspective. In Altoona, the temperature dropped to 74, breaking an almost 30-year record of 72 degrees set in 1991. The day's average high is 82.
A handful of events previously scheduled for the weekend have been either canceled or postponed ahead of the heat.
Thursday evening, the 2019 Verizon New York City Triathlon was canceled due to severe heat warnings and thunderstorm watches in the New York City metro area. There will not be an alternate race weekend. The race had previously been scheduled to take place on Sunday.
Even though the race was canceled, the triathlon and Life Time will be passing out water bottles and Gatorade at a hydration station.
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Saturday horse races at New York's Saratoga Race Course were also postponed.
"This is a responsible and prudent decision that aligns with our New York Racetrack Heat Management Protocol designed to ensure safe racing for all participants," New York State Gaming Commission Equine Medical Director Dr. Scott E. Palmer said in a statement.
Racers and spectators will still have to deal with the oppressive heat at the the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday afternoon.
"With high temperatures in the lower 90s F on Sunday, it will be very hot for those sitting in the grandstands," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.
The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature is forecast to be near 100 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of race.
Do you know the difference between Heatstroke -- a medical emergency -- and Heat Exhaustion? Here's a guide with downloadable infographics from NOAA's @NWS: weather.gov/safety/heat-il… #HeatHealth #HeatWave
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Residents in excessive heat warned areas are advised to stay indoors if possible and stay hydrated, as many of the areas fall under AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures categorized as "dangerous heat." These high temperatures can lead to the danger of dehydration, heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat
Remember, during hot weather, never leave children and pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures very quickly; it takes only two minutes for a car to reach unsafe temperatures. There have already been 21 children who have died from being left in a car for an extended period of time.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service Office in Omaha, Nebraska, demonstrated how hot cars can get in the summer by baking biscuits on the front dash. After a total of eight hours, the staff had their snack. But it took much less time for the interior to reach a literally baking heat.
"This is a good time to remind everyone that your car does in fact get deadly hot. Look before you lock! On average, 38 children die in hot cars each year. Don't be a statistic!" the service posted with a photo of a thermometer that read 175 degrees F for the surface of the baking pan after staying inside the car for an hour. It took 45 minutes for the dough to start to rise.
"Relief from the oppressive heat wave will gradually sweep over the central U.S. and into the Northeast into early week but will come at the expense of severe thunderstorms and flooding downpours," according Pydynowski.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert to temperature trends in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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