Temperatures in the Northeast soared into the upper 90s for a second day Thursday as residents fled to pools and beaches, tourists reorganized their sightseeing itineraries and street vendors and store owners made a small fortune selling bottled water and other cold drinks.
New York’s Central Park was forecast to reach a record 98 degrees. Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will see similar heat with temperatures inching into the upper 90s and low 100s. The official first day of summer Wednesday set records from New York City to Burlington, Vt.
In New Jersey, forecasters say temperatures could combine with humidity to make it feel like 110 degrees in parts of the state. Thermometers might not drop below 80 until the wee hours of Friday morning, they said.
American Idol hopefuls in Newark got a bit of a break from the heat. They were ushered inside Newark’s Prudential Center on Thursday morning to register to audition.
The city has also opened cooling centers and its two public swimming pools.
In preparation for the sweltering weather, golf course officials at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut have IVs ready to go at a medical tent where dozens were treated for heat exhaustion Wednesday.
Emergency medical services director John Quinlavin said people need to drink more water at the stations set up around the course. Forecasts for the area call for temperatures just short of 100 degrees.
“People are coming in dizzy, a little nausea, vomiting, generally poor feeling overall,” he said. “We generally have a more mature audience here, and we do see a lot of the elderly having some problems with the heat.”
With high heat and humidity forecast across the region, public health officials are warning residents to not leave pets or children in vehicles as temperatures can quickly escalate and lead to heat stroke and death.
One Times Square food vendor is sweltering inside his metal cart.
Around noon Thursday, the temperature in the cart was pushing 100.
His propane fueled coffee maker wasn’t helping matters.
The vendor, Bashir Saleh says it’s not worth buying a fan because he’d need a bigger battery, or a generator.
“I’m exhausted,” said Saleh, a native of Afghanistan who’d been working already eight hours as the heat rose near his propane-gas fueled coffee maker.
But it’s worth it to him, he said. He makes more money on the hottest days selling iced coffee and other drinks.
Sporting a visor with an American flag, Saleh, who’d fled war in his native land, said that even when he’s sweating to earn a living, “I think, God bless America. For a few days, I can sacrifice.”
With high heat and humidity forecast across the Northeast, public health officials urged people to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and to remain hydrated.
They are also warning residents to not leave pets or children in vehicles as temperatures can quickly escalate and lead to heat stroke and death.
On Wednesday, at least 66 weather stations across the nation broke or tied high temperature records, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But, NOAA forecaster Dave Unger said the east coast will soon get a relief from the extreme heat as a low pressure system and possible coastal storms are expected to lower temperatures heading into the weekend.
He said extreme temperatures are likely this summer, with the administration’s forecast through September calling for hotter than normal temperatures for every continental state, except for New England.