Multiday warnings of extreme heat landed in New York, Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday as sultry weather pushed east just ahead of Fourth of July celebrations in a region that revels in its role as a historic hub of U.S. independence.<\/p>\n
Temperatures in the high 90s Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) were forecast for the Northeast; Philadelphia and Boston could top 100 by Thursday. Throw in humidity, and the real-feel heat index will be even higher at times, the National Weather Service said.<\/p>\n
A heat dome<\/a> \u2014 high-pressure systems above a region that trap heat and humidity \u2014 has been smothering parts of the U.S.<\/a>, from the Midwest to the East Coast. It will add much discomfort amid 250th anniversary parades, ship flotillas, outdoor concerts and, in Boston, a popular public reading of the Declaration of Independence from a historic balcony Saturday.<\/p>\n New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani advised residents to stay cool inside and avoid \u201cextraordinary temperatures.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo be breaking into triple digits over the course of these many next days \u2014 it is of immense concern given that too often the heat is something that is underestimated,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n In Hamptonburgh, New York, air conditioning failed on a bus carrying Junior ROTC cadets, resulting in multiple heat-related illnesses, Orange County authorities said. Some cadets were taken to hospitals as a precaution.<\/p>\n Concrete and steel aggravate hot weather<\/p>\n Humidity is not uncommon in the Northeast. But Dr. Alexander Azan of NYU Langone Health in New York said high air temperatures and humidity are a dangerous combination.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir body doesn\u2019t have that level of acclimatization to respond appropriately to the heat, and so heat stress in the form of what we call heat exhaustion, and in more severe cases, heat stroke, can occur at much lower temperatures than we see in people who live in the South,\u201d Azan said.<\/p>\n Experts say cities in particular are at greater risk.<\/p>\n \u201cThe concentration of concrete, asphalt, steel, all of those materials help to retain heat,\u201d said Vijay Limaye, a climate scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. \u201cThe number on your phone may actually not reflect the true temperature profile that you\u2019re going out into.\u201d<\/p>\n New York City said more than 200 teams of government workers and volunteers will check on homeless people and encourage them to get inside. There will be hundreds of cooling centers, from the Javits Center convention hall to vans to outdoor spots with misting fans.<\/p>\n Cashing in on the weather<\/p>\n The phone seemed like it wouldn\u2019t stop ringing at Acme Ice Co. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which delivers ice to bars and restaurants in the Boston area. The owner, Marc Savenor, said this week\u2019s stretch of hot weather is an \u201cice man\u2019s dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat could an ice man ask for? … I\u2019ve hired a couple extra drivers. I\u2019ve put on an extra couple trucks. I put ice in different freezers so I don\u2019t run out,\u201d Savenor said. \u201cAfter my ice is depleted here, we go pick up another load, bring it back, and we deliver it everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n The American Kennel Club\u2019s Museum of the Dog in New York is allowing visitors to bring their dogs to cool off, through Sunday. Executive Director Christopher Bromson said he got the idea from seeing his own Newfoundland sprawled on the museum\u2019s cool floor.<\/p>\n