A potentially historic heat wave is set to hit the northeastern United States next week, with temperatures expected to be about 20 degrees higher than normal.
Temperatures are expected to drop over Father’s Day weekend, with much warmer weather expected as the heat dome moves east.
A heat dome is a large area of high pressure that freezes in an area, trapping air and emitting sunlight for days or weeks. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the longer a heat dome lasts, the more intense the heat it produces.
The NWS warned that an “anomalous heat wave” would begin Sunday across much of the Midwest, Central Plains and Tennessee Valley.
Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s Fahrenheit for many areas and likely in daily records for parts of the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Some areas will get as hot as 105F, the weather service said.
NWS meteorologist Steven Freitag predicted the Detroit metropolitan area would experience its worst heat wave in more than 20 years. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s and the heat index will remain around 100 degrees from Monday through the weekend.
The region could see its first 100-degree day since July 2012.
A heat wave is generally classified as abnormally hot weather that lasts for more than two days. Last year, the United States experienced its worst heat wave since 1936. Last year was the hottest year on record in the South and Southwest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Next week’s heat is expected to peak around June 20, when summer begins in earnest.
Although nighttime temperatures will drop into the 70s and provide some relief, the duration of the heat can have cumulative and potentially dangerous effects on the body, Freitag told CBS.
Other areas in the East are also expected to reach highs of 90 degrees and lows of 100 degrees by the winter solstice, including urban hotspots such as Newark, New Jersey, and Richmond, Virginia.
Major urban hotspots include Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City, where temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s this weekend.
Weather experts advised the public to take extra precautions, including staying hydrated, avoiding exposed areas for long periods of time and checking on vulnerable people.
The eastward heat shift comes after the West Coast was baked earlier this month as temperatures rose to “dangerous” levels in areas including parts of California and Nevada.
Extreme heat waves hit the United States last year, and more than 113 million Americans were under heat warnings at the peak of the climate crisis.
In July 2023, the mercury in Phoenix reached 110F for 13 consecutive days, prompting officials to advise residents to limit outdoor activities and watch for signs of heat exhaustion and heat exhaustion.
This has been the hottest year on record for the United States, with scientists warning that temperatures will continue to rise.
