Heat blankets East Coast, Midwest

NEW YORK, June 8 (UPI) -- Temperature records were broken Wednesday in the mid-Atlantic states as muggy sweltering weather blanketed the East Coast.

At least five deaths this week have been blamed on high temperatures. Two people died in Tennessee and two in Maryland, all elderly and with medical conditions, CNN reported, while the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a 69-year-old man living in a Wisconsin nursing home died Tuesday after he was left outdoors for 3 hours.

The high temperature at Newark Liberty International Airport reached 98 degrees Wednesday, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported. That broke a record set in 1999.

Records were also broke in the Baltimore-Washington area, ABC News said.

Southern Ontario saw some of the highest June temperatures in 50 years, CTV reported. In Toronto, the mercury hit 91 degrees.

Heat emergencies were declared across the U.S. Midwest and East. High temperatures were predicted for Thursday.

Philadelphia ended the school day at 1:30 p.m. because of the heat, WHYY-FM reported. Officials said Thursday would also be a short day.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said, "We need to remember to check on our families, friends and neighbors and especially those who are most vulnerable."

The National Weather Service issued an excessive-heat warning for much of southeastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware and west-central New Jersey from noon Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday.

Residents were advised to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activity outdoors and stay out of the sun.

New York officials warned of dehydration, heat stroke and other heat-related illness both days and encouraged people without air-conditioning to go to public "cooling centers," where air-conditioning was available.

Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati and at least four dozen other cities -- including cities in Ontario, Canada -- declared heat emergencies and encouraged people to go to places with air-conditioning.

School districts in several mid-Atlantic states announced classes would be dismissed early Wednesday due to excessive heat.

Baltimore's heat index -- combining air temperature and relative humidity to determine how the temperature feels -- could reach 105, the National Weather Service said.

Tennessee's environment agency warned ozone levels Wednesday would be unhealthy in Nashville and surrounding areas, The Tennessean reported.

Minneapolis Tuesday reported a high of 102 degrees, making it the hottest day since July 15, 1988, and the second-earliest 100-degree reading in the city since 1872, Weather.com reported.