Heat records topple; little relief in sight
A heat wave that spread from the Midwest to the Northeast tormented millions Saturday with blasts of 100-degree temperatures, broken high-temperature records and dozens of deaths.
There was little hope that Saturday would bring much relief until the evening. The National Weather Service warned of excessive heat in several states, including parts of Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It predicted “oppressive heat” with temperatures at least in the 90s.
A record-high temperature was set Saturday in New York City’s Central Park when the temperature topped 100 degrees. John F. Kennedy airport hit 102, topping the 1972 record of 100. Newark, N.J. hit 102 degrees, hottest since it was 100 in 1955. On Friday, the Newark temperature hit a record-high for the day of 108.
Cooling centers were open in all five New York city boroughs, WNBC-TV reported.
“It’s unbearable, you can’t get away from it,” Chris Aufrero, who was working construction in the blazing sun, told the NBC station. “No clouds, no shade, nothing. Just so hot.”
Power was out for 22,000 customers in the New York metropolitan area Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures above 100 degrees did not stop thousands of Civil War re-enactors outside Washington, D.C., to mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run. Re-enactment events continue Sunday.