An extreme heat wave that swept across three states (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) and warmed the entire eastern United States broke numerous temperature records on Tuesday, including one in Central Park that dates back to the 19th century.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), high daytime temperatures were recorded at all official weather stations in the region, and more than 150 million people woke up to extreme heat warnings. Forecasts predicted that dozens of locations would meet or exceed daily temperature records.
The temperature in Central Park on Tuesday reached 37 degrees Celsius, a shade below the forecast of 38 degrees, which is still the highest temperature measured at that location since July 18, 2012, when it was exactly 38 degrees.
It also broke the record for June 24, which was 35.5 degrees, set back in 1888.
If the temperature in Central Park had reached 100 degrees, it would have been the earliest date of the year the park had reached that temperature, two days earlier than the current record set in 1954.
JFK Airport measured 102 degrees by 3 p.m., the first time the temperature had reached that level there since 2013. It wasn’t the hottest spot in the region, though; Newark Airport in New Jersey recorded 103.5 degrees, the highest temperature for June 24 since 1966.
Records from that same year were also broken by other locations. Islip, Long Island, reached 100 degrees, Bridgeport, Connecticut, reached 101 degrees, and Poughkeepsie hit 101 degrees for the first time since 2013.
What makes this heat wave particularly notable is how early in the season it’s happening. Average record highs for late June typically range from 91 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (33 to 35 degrees Celsius). With temperatures reaching or exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in many parts of the region, records were broken on both Monday and Tuesday.
While temperatures won’t be as high on Wednesday, a hot and muggy day is still expected. The danger remains high, partly because heat indices will once again be near 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), but also because this is the third consecutive day of this heat wave, AA writes.
