Residents around the Northeast U.S. braced for potentially record-breaking temperatures on Sunday as a nearly weeklong hot spell continued, prompting officials to warn of dangerous heat.
At least one heat-related death, in New York, was reported during the stretch of sweltering weather. Around the region, athletic events were shortened or postponed, and cities opened cooling centers and even turned to buses to offer relief from the heat.
Philadelphia was forecast to hit 100 degrees before even factoring in humidity, said weather service meteorologist Matt Brudy in Mount Holly, N.J.
Philadelphia officials extended a heat health emergency declaration through Sunday, sending workers to check on homeless people and knock on the doors of other vulnerable residents. With Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole calling the weather “dangerously hot,” the city also opened cooling centers and stationed air-conditioned buses at four intersections for people to cool off.
Forecasters urged people to take precautions, wear light clothing, drink lots of water, limit time outside and check on elderly people and pets.
This weekend’s Boston Triathlon, meanwhile, was put off until Aug. 20-21. The National Weather Service said Sunday that before 1:30 p.m. ET, the city had it 99 degrees, surpassing the record high of 98 that was set in 1933.
The National Weather Service’s southern outpost said temperatures would continue throughout much of that region to top 100 degrees.
