The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for the third day, warning temperatures could top 105 degrees across the East Coast and the South. Image from National Weather Service
WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- The National Weather Service issued heat advisories for the third consecutive day Tuesday, warning temperatures could top 105 degrees across the East Coast and the South.
Heat advisories are in effect for the Southern Plains, the East and the Southeast, National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro said. The heat index, a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in, has hit at least 100 degrees across most of the southeastern United States.
"This is typical of mid-late July," he said. "In many places we aren't seeing records, but it's real hot and real humid. That can be dangerous."
The worst is expected in areas that include Wilmington, N.C. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. At the same time, Dallas is expected to hit 100-plus degrees. Areas that include Jackson, Miss. and Atlanta, Ga., will flirt with the mid to high 90s. Tuesday, New York City will hit about 90 degrees for the third day, while Washington, D.C. will be closer to 100.
The problems in the Big Apple were compounded when Consolidated Edison power company requested that 138,000 customers in Brooklyn and Queens conserve energy. About the same time, some 20,000 customers in portions of New York City were without power Monday. In New York's Penn Station, the busiest rail hub in the country, passengers suffered through hour-long train delays in the sweltering heat.
New York City emergency management urged residents to stay cool, drink plenty of water and stay inside. In parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, cooling centers opened to allow residents a place to cool off.
"If we use common sense we can get over this," New York City emergency management chief Joseph Esposito said at a news conference.
Rainstorms are expected to move through areas that include North Carolina and Alabama, ushering in cooler temperatures.
