Heat, humidity grip East Coast, residents urged to take it easy
Central part of the country enjoys some relief as cold front moves in
BOSTON — The East Coast on Sunday sweated through another day of heat and humidity in a stretch of weather so oppressive that a New Jersey drawbridge got stuck, Pennsylvania firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion and police departments from New York City to suburban Boston implored residents to take it easy.
“Sunday has been canceled,” the NYPD jokingly tweeted. “Stay indoors, nothing to see here. Really, we got this.”
The central part of the country, meanwhile, enjoyed some relief as a cold front moved steadily southward and eastward across the country, bringing down the temperatures. But the cooler weather settling in today and Tuesday will also bring severe storms and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and produce damaging winds, the National Weather Service warned.
The Carolinas up to Maine were expected to see the highest temperatures Sunday. Daytime highs were expected in the midto upper 90s, which, coupled with high humidity, could feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jack Ogten was among a steady stream of tourists milling around outside the White House on Sunday. Undeterred by the stifling heat, the resident of the Netherlands joked that he’d lost about 22 pounds from sweating after just one day of sightseeing.
In New York City, where all eyes were on the power grid even before the hot weather following a Manhattan blackout last weekend, electricity company Con Ed reported scattered outages Sunday, the vast majority in the borough of Queens.
The city also directed office buildings to set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees through Sunday to reduce strain on its electrical grid. A commemoration of the 1969 moon landing planned for Times Square and an outdoor festival featuring soccer star Megan Rapinoe and musician John Legend were also cancelled Saturday.
In Boston, city officials again opened up city pools free to residents as the temperature inched past 90 degrees for the third consecutive day by noon Sunday. Police in one suburb also posted a tongue-in-cheek request on their Facebook page.
“Due to the extreme heat, we are asking anyone thinking of doing criminal activity to hold off until Monday,” Braintree police wrote Friday. “Conducting criminal activity, in this extreme heat is next level henchmen status, and also very dangerous.”
The National Weather Service reported high temperatures for July 20 were recorded Saturday at its weather stations in Atlantic City, New Jersey; New York City; Westfield, Massachusetts; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Wallops Island, Virginia.
The heat relented early Sunday in the northern reaches of New England.
A Canadian cold front brought thunderstorms Saturday evening that dropped temperatures across northern Vermont and upstate New York. A heat advisory remained in effect for ,outhern sections of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Many parts of the country aren’t expected to get much better when the sun goes down. Temperatures are expected to remain at or above the high 70s overnight.
Experts warn residents in affected areas to limit their time outdoors. The risks are greatest for young children, the elderly and the sick.
Meanwhile, strong wind and rain were expected to persist in the Midwest, bringing the potential for heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of residents in Michigan and Wisconsin on Saturday.