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Dangerous heat wave to persist through July 4 holiday across two dozen states
A prolonged heat wave that began in the Midwest on Monday has spread east and is forecast to bring heat-index readings above 100 degrees through the holiday weekend. Cities from Chicago to Washington, D.C., are expected to feel like 110 degrees or higher on Thursday and Friday.
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A dangerous heat wave that began in the Midwest on Monday has spread across more than two dozen states in the Midwest, South and East Coast and is forecast to continue into the July 4 weekend. On Thursday the heat index is expected to reach 111 degrees in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., 110 degrees in New York City, 108 degrees in Detroit, 106 degrees in Boston and 102 degrees in Chicago.
New York City has activated its heat emergency plan and opened hundreds of cooling centers.
local responses On Friday the heat index is forecast to hit 112 degrees in Washington, D.C., 108 degrees in New York and 105 degrees in Boston. Overnight relief will be minimal, increasing the danger. On Saturday the heat index is expected to reach 107 degrees in Washington, D.C., and 103 degrees in New York.
By Sunday and Monday the strongest heat and humidity will shift to the Southeast, with Raleigh, North Carolina, forecast to feel like 107 degrees and Savannah, Georgia, like 105 degrees. Amtrak canceled more than a dozen trains in the Northeast on Thursday because of the heat.
Philadelphia organizers shortened plans for the city's Salute to Independence parade on Friday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked employers to build flexibility into work schedules and ensure no workers are put at risk.
prior data Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States. At least 13,000 Americans have died from heat since 2018, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. More than 300 temperature records are expected to be set by Saturday, including more than 100 record highs and more than 200 record warm overnight lows, CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said.
Temperatures are forecast to run 20 to 30 degrees above average across the affected region. In Nashville, heat patrols began handing out cold bottled water to the city's homeless population during peak hours. The city is expected to reach a high of 101 degrees on Saturday, which would top the previous record of 100 degrees set in 1919.
