Three people have died in the heat wave that has blazed through the Philadelphia metropolitan, according to the city medical examiner’s office, WFMZ reports.
Officials confirmed that a 59-year-old man from North Philadelphia with diabetes and congestive heart failure succumbed to the heat. On Saturday, a 67-year-old woman from Brewerytown and an 82-year-old woman from Port Richmond, both with pre-existing medical conditions, passed away from the heat.
There has been a total of seven heat-related deaths tallied this summer.
Philadelphia, along with the National Weather Service, extended the heat warnings until Sunday evening.
The forecast for the city was 95 degrees on Sunday, 94 on Monday and 93 on Tuesday, according to Weather Underground. Saturday saw a high of 97 degrees, just short of the 99 degrees record in 2002. Maximum humidity was at 85% Saturday.
A rise in humidity levels and extremely hot temperatures have sent the heat index into the red zone throughout the northeast USA.
Weather Underground predicts that the heat wave will continue until Monday, from southern New England down into the mid-Atlantic. By Tuesday, the worst should have passed due to the arrival of a frontal boundary that will lower evening temperatures and cut down on humidity, says Philly Voice.
Washington D.C. entered a record high Saturday morning as temperatures reached 101 degrees — the first day to reach the hundreds since July 2012, increasing to 114 degrees in the afternoon on the heat index.
New York City had a maximum heat index of 110 degrees, and an actual high temperature of 96 degrees. Boston, meanwhile, saw 93 degrees and a maximum heat index of 100 degrees.
Residents experiencing heat waves are advised to schedule outdoor activities for early morning or late evening, wear light and loose clothing, take frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned places and be informed of heat exhaustion and heat stroke symptoms. People are also urged to check on elderly neighbors, friends and relatives to make sure of their safety.
