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New York’s Central Park tied a record high of 96 degrees for the date Monday, which was set in 1888. In neighboring New Jersey, 16 people were sent to the emergency room following a sweltering set of graduations. And in Baltimore, a malfunctioning Amtrak train left riders temporarily stranded without air conditioning in the depths of its tunnel system.
The staggering conditions come as an extremely dangerous heat wave is underway for the eastern half of the United States, with Tuesday expected to bring peak temperatures to an already fatigued population.
The potent heat dome reaches its peak at the beginning of the week, bringing the hottest temperatures of the year so far – the hottest in years for some cities – and putting tens of millions at risk.
Over 250 daily temperature records could be broken during the peak of the heat on Monday and Tuesday, including both record highs and record warm lows. Temperatures in some locations from Philadelphia to Boston could be the hottest in any month in over a decade. Additional records could fall Wednesday and Thursday.
Around 150 million people were under heat alerts Monday, according to the National Weather Service. It feels more like July, summer’s hottest month, than June for many locations as temperatures rise 15 to 20 degrees above normal.
A level 4-of-4 extreme heat risk is in place through at least Thursday, stretching from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and including some parts of the Northeast. This long-lasting heat is rare and will likely offer little to no overnight relief, the NWS cautions.
Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and can be life-threatening, especially for children, the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions.
The dangerous impacts were immediate as sizzling conditions ramped up in the central US over the weekend and into Monday. Two graduations in Paterson, New Jersey, resulted in over 150 people being evaluated for heat-related illnesses, Paterson Fire Chief Alejandro Alicea told CNN, adding that the 16 people taken to the hospital were in stable condition at the time of transport.
A stalled Amtrak train in Baltimore left several passengers trapped in the heat for over an hour Monday afternoon.
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