Hot Weather to Put 100 Million Americans at Risk in the Northeast US: Weekend Weather Forecast

Hot weather with record-breaking high temperatures has been predicted across the Northeast US, according to the latest weekend weather forecast.

The heat surge will be reportedly the hottest weather in the US region since the summer of 2021 and could shatter long-standing record highs for more than 100 years.

The forecast comes almost a year after a widespread heat wave struck North America, including the Northeast.

Since then, multiple deaths have been linked to heat waves across the US, as part of an increased risk of intensifying temperatures posed by the climate crisis and global warming.

Northeast Hot Weather

A summer-like heat will raise temperatures from the upper 80s to the mid-90s on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and May 22, according to AccuWeather meteorologists, placing over 100 million Americans at risk, including dehydration and other health hazards related to hot weather.

The looming Northeast hot weather may affect the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Cities like Burlington, Buffalo, Portland, Boston, New York City, Columbus, Washington, and their surrounding areas are reportedly expected to see daily record highs that have remained since World War II and the Great Depression.

Potential Record Breakers

The estimated temperatures by AccuWeather forecasters can potentially break high-temperature records since the early 20th century.

In Philadelphia, a temperature spike could beat the 95 degrees Fahrenheit set in 1934 on Saturday.

Raleigh and Albany may also have their highest temperatures since 1938.

Meanwhile, New York City may beat its record of 91 degrees.

The blazing heat could also reach as far as Virginia, with a predicted hot temperature of 99 degrees in Richmond on Saturday.

Its prevailing record-holder of 96 degrees was back in June and July of 2021.

The weather forecasting company also compared the approaching hot weekend weather to be more intense than the summer of 2020.

East Coast Extreme Heat

The AccuWeather forecast is also in line with the latest weather advisory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) on Thursday, May 19, wherein it said that a heat wave is also expected to expand on the East Coast in the coming days.

This will transpire as the heat intensity decreases over the southern Plains, the NOAA - NWS explained.

The US weather agency warned that the extreme heat which started several days ago can pose heat-related illnesses, especially for outdoor workers or people participating in outdoor activities.

US Heat Wave Deaths

The summer season in the US approximately spans from June to September each year.

Last summer, the so-called 2021 Western North America heat wave was responsible for causing economic damage worth at least $8.9 billion USD, according to the NOAA.

Furthermore, the NOAA also reported that 229 deaths were associated with last year's natural hazard as it persisted in the Western US, affecting the states of Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as the province of British Columbia in Canada.

Although the weekend forecast of hot weather for the Northeast is underway, there were no immediate projections if it can reach a heatwave-level phenomenon.

Regardless, a large number of American inhabitants are still under threat by the severe heat.