Hot temperatures will be moving into the Northeast and I-95 corridor this week, with heat index values at or above 100 degrees from New York City to Boston.
“This is really going to be a big story over the next couple of days,” said FOX weather meteorologist Jane Minar. “Ninety degrees, well above average, and it’s only going to get worse the later in the week that we go.”
The heat index values will be well into the 90s starting Tuesday, worsening as the week continues.
In the mid-Atlantic, heat index values will be about 97 degrees in Richmond, Virginia. Those hot values will extend to the north into New York City, where it will feel like 96 degrees.
Boston, too, will feel hot. The metropolitan area is expected to feel like about 93 degrees during the day.
On Wednesday, it’s going to feel even hotter. Millions of Americans from Washington to New York City and into Boston and New England will feel like it’s close to, if not at, 100 degrees.
Richmond, Washington and New York City have the best chance of seeing a heat index value of 100 degrees.
Boston, closer to the coast, will feel slightly cooler at 95 degrees.
Heat index values will also extend into northern New England, where areas like Burlington, Vermont, will feel like about 93 degrees.
Thursday will likely be the worst of it, with heat index values higher than 100 degrees across the region.
“While it may not be 100 degrees on Thursday in the forecast for now, it certainly will feel like it,” Minar said. “Because the humidity is going to build in, and that heat index value will feel like it.”
Richmond and New York City will feel like 103 degrees, which will be very dangerous for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly and the homeless.
Precautions will need to be taken to prevent heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
Boston, too, will feel like it’s 100 degrees on Thursday.
The best time to go outdoors during a hot summer day is in the early morning or late in the evening when temperatures tend to be cooler than during the afternoon.
If you need to go outdoors during the heat of the day, experts advise you to wear loose, light-colored clothing and drink plenty of fluids.
The dangerous heat can kill people or pets left in vehicles without running air conditioning. Make sure to “look before you lock” to ensure you have not left any children or pets unattended.