Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Warnings of extreme heat were issued for parts of the northeastern United States on Wednesday as hot and humid weather moved east ahead of Fourth of July celebrations. New York, Boston and Philadelphia were among the cities under multiday alerts, with forecasters warning that temperatures and humidity could drive the heat index even higher.
The weather is expected to add to discomfort during events linked to the 250th anniversary celebrations, including parades, ship flotillas and outdoor concerts. In Boston, the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence from a historic balcony is also set to take place under the heat spell.
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Temperatures in the high 90s Fahrenheit were forecast across the Northeast, while Philadelphia and Boston could cross 100 by Thursday, the National Weather Service said. The heat has been driven by a heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps heat and humidity over a region, which has already affected parts of the United States from the Midwest to the East Coast.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay indoors and keep cool. “To be breaking into triple digits over the course of these many next days – it is of immense concern given that too often the heat is something that is underestimated,” Mamdani said.
Doctors and climate experts warned that high temperatures combined with humidity can be dangerous, especially in the Northeast where people are less used to such conditions. Dr Alexander Azan of NYU Langone Health said, “Their body doesn’t have that level of acclimatization to respond appropriately to the heat, and so heat stress in the form of what we call heat exhaustion, and in more severe cases, heat stroke, can occur at much lower temperatures than we see in people who live in the South.” Vijay Limaye, a climate scientist at the Natural Resources Defence Council, said cities face greater risks because “the concentration of concrete, asphalt, steel, all of those materials help to retain heat” and added, “The number on your phone may actually not reflect the true temperature profile that you’re going out into.”
New York City said more than 200 teams of government workers and volunteers would check on homeless people and encourage them to come indoors. The city has also opened hundreds of cooling centres, ranging from the Javits Centre convention hall to vans and outdoor spots with misting fans. The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog in New York is also letting visitors bring their dogs inside through Sunday. Executive Director Christopher Bromson said he got the idea after seeing his own Newfoundland stretched out on the museum floor, adding, “I thought every dog should have access to this.”
In Washington, DC, where the high reached 95 F, children waiting for the Ferris wheel on the National Mall reached for cold bottles of water from the US Park Police. Jeff Schlegelmilch, associate professor at Columbia University Climate School, said heat is among the easiest effects to link to climate change. “We have seen a continued increase in longer summers, hotter temperatures, hotter temperatures earlier on, more evaporation of moisture, higher humidity – effects like that,” he said. The extreme heat warnings across the northeastern US have come just as holiday celebrations gather pace, with officials urging people to take precautions and stay safe.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
