Today's Edition
(REUTERS)
Tens of millions of people in major cities across the US Northeast faced record high temperatures on Tuesday on what was expected to be the worst day of an oppressive heat wave that has spread over much of the country since late last week.
Temperatures in Washington and Boston are expected to soar to 38 degrees Celsius, beating previous records, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
In New York City's Central Park, temperatures could reach 37 degrees Celsius.
There is also the potential for record heat across other parts of the Eastern US, including northern Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, according to the NWS.
"It looks like today is probably the worst day for widespread heat records," said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, adding that the most intense heat is concentrated in the Northeast.
The extreme heat is causing disruptions to public transport across the Northeast.
Construction companies have been forced to compensate for the severe weather to ensure their construction workers are safe.
The warm weather across the US Plains and into Canada has also impacted crops. In Saskatchewan in Western Canada, where much of the country’s canola, spring wheat and pulse crops are grown, dryness in June hindered just-seeded crops.
