United States President Joe Biden announced measures to try to combat the effects of extreme heat as 46 million Americans are being counseled about heat.
Major cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. announced a heat-related emergency on Thursday. Actors’ union Sag-Aftra was forced to halt queues due to New York City’s extreme heat warning.
Extreme heat is expected to last through the weekend.
”No body can deny the impact of climate change anymore President Biden said Thursday at a press briefing in the White House. High humidity will raise heat readings in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Expected temperatures are 107F (41C) and 105F (40C), respectively.
According to the National Weather Service, overnight lows on the East Coast will be 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above the regional average, which will exacerbate the potential health impacts associated with heat.
And record heat continues to scorch the southwestern and central United States.
Phoenix, Arizona, has faced sweltering temperatures, by or higher than 100F (38C), for 27 consecutive days.Evenings don’t give residents any respite – nighttime temperatures don’t drop below 90F (32C) for at least 16 days.
El Paso, Texas, which even surpassed Phoenix, experienced 40 consecutive days of temperatures staying at 100F (38C) or higher on Tuesday. During his press conference, Biden announced steps to tighten heat-related safety precautions for workers, especially farmers, construction workers and others working outdoors.
There will also be additional funding for weather forecasting as well as efforts to increase water storage capacity in the western states and make buildings more heat resistant.
Outside of sunny weather. hot, parts of the United States are suffering from a severe thunderstorm system. 180,000 people in Michigan were without power after a storm flooded the area and cut power lines to the area Wednesday.
The Upper Midwest and Great Lakes are forecast to see more thunderstorms, which could bring 75 mph winds and the sound of golf-ball-sized hail, Thursday afternoon through into Friday.
Thereafter, these storms will spread across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic late Friday through Saturday, bringing strong gusts of wind, hail and possible flash floods
