Face of Nation : That’s what the National Weather Service is warning as a potentially life-threatening heat wave reaches its peak this weekend and more than two-thirds of the US will feel temperatures pushing into the triple digits.
Cities in Virginia and North Carolina will see some of the hottest air of the season. New York has opened almost 500 cooling centers. And officials in Massachusetts are urging residents to wearloose clothing and be alert for signs of a heat stroke. About 157 million people are under heat warnings and heat advisories Saturday as daytime temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 90s — and feel like 115 degrees — from the Great Plains to the East Coast.
And it won’t get any better at night time. Overnight temperatures over the weekend won’t drop below 80 degrees in many cities across the East Coast, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said.
Across the upper East Coast, the weather service said Saturday that the most dangerous part of the day will be mid-afternoon and into early evening hours, when temperatures and humidity will peak. “Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside,” the service said. “When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to the early morning the late evening.”
In Philadelphia and New Jersey, the weather service warned the heat may cause heat stress or heat strokes. The elderly and people with pre-existing conditions are most at risk.
In Detroit, which will see a heat index of up to 105 degrees Saturday, more than 200,000 people did not have power in the early morning, after thunderstorms caused trees and branches to take down power lines.
But relief is coming. A cold front will drop into the central US and portions of the Midwest late Saturday, which will bring cool air in the Midwest Sunday, CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. The East Coast will begin cooling down Monday, Cabrera said.
Until then, city officials are taking precautions against the sweltering heat and preparing for what could be a deadly weekend.
