Severe storms and unrelenting heat wave

A dangerous combination of extreme heat y severe storms is affecting millions of people in the United States from the Midwest to the Northeast. High temperatures and humidity are creating an unstable environment that favors heavy rains, destructive wind gusts and flash flooding.

 Thunderstorms and torrential rains in the center of the country

A very moist air mass, with near-tropical characteristics, has generated scattered but powerful storms from Iowa to Pennsylvania, especially in areas such as Chicago and the outskirts of Pittsburgh. On Friday, south Chicago recorded 4 to 6 inches of rain in a few hours, causing road collapse and water rescues. Conditions continue to be conducive for rainfall of up to 2 inches per hour.

The risk of flash flooding has been classified as level 2 of 4 by the Weather Prediction Center along a near-stationary front extending from Missouri to Ohio. Warnings are also active in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

 Sweltering heat in the northeast

At the same time, the northeastern U.S. is facing a heat wave that on Friday pushed the heat indexes above 100 °F (38 °C) in many cities. In New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Newark, actual temperatures exceeded 90 °F, but with the humidity it felt like 100 to 108 °F. Newark broke records by reaching 100 °F before a severe storm downed trees and caused power outages.

Nighttime temperatures have also been unusually high, often 10 to 20 degrees above normal, preventing buildings from cooling and raising the risk of heat stress, especially for vulnerable people.

More of 50,000 users were left without power in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey due to passing storms with winds in excess of 60 mph.

Danger in hot cars

The heat wave also revives an important warning: never leave children inside parked vehicles. Since 1998, more than 1,000 children have died from heat stroke in closed cars in the U.S., including 16 victims so far this year alone.

Temporary, but limited relief

For this Saturday, a slight drop in temperatures is expected in cities such as New York and Boston, with highs in the 80s °F. However, the heat will persist strongly in the mid-Atlantic, from Washington D.C. to Virginia, where heat indexes will remain near 100°F.

Several cities in the country are already registering one of the most important five warmest summers in its history, with temperatures between 1 and 3 degrees above average. Long-term forecasts indicate that the eastern part of the country will remain warmer than usual for the remainder of the summer.

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