At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country | US weather

At least two dozen people have died amid a dangerous heat wave fueled by the climate crisis that has scorched parts of the United States with record temperatures.

A massive heat dome looms over the eastern half of the state, with extreme heat gripping millions of people in the days leading up to and beyond the U.S. semicentennial on Saturday. Sweltering temperatures of over 38C were reported to mar celebrations in more than 20 states. And as of Sunday, more than 140 million people across the United States remained under active temperature alert.

Officials in New Jersey believe extreme heat was a factor 22 deaths In 10 counties, mostly in the central and northern parts of the state. According to authorities, many people were found in homes without air conditioning, outside their residences, on the street and in parked cars.

The first of these deaths occurred on Thursday, and the ages of those who died mostly ranged from their mid-30s to their 80s. Preliminary findings lead investigators to believe the deaths were heat-related, but New Jersey’s chief medical officer of health will later determine the exact cause of death for each.

“This is not a typical summer heat wave,” New Jersey’s public health department said in a statement. “This type of heat can quickly become life-threatening for humans and animals of all ages.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) said cool air from the north in the coming days will bring down some of the most extreme temperatures in the region, including New Jersey. The FIFA World Cup final is scheduled to be held on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Elsewhere, one heat-related death was reported in Cook County, Illinois; government spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny, he told NBC News. The cause of this death was recorded as organic cardiovascular disease, to which heat stress also contributed.

Death of 74-year-old Mitchell Ray Cooley reported in Hinds County, Mississippi due to heat exposure on Thursday, state officials said. Cooley was reported missing and her body was found behind a gas station the next day, the county coroner said in a statement.

“Mr Cooley suffered from a medical condition that impaired his judgment,” the coroner said. “According to the investigation findings, crime scene examination and subsequent evaluations, the cause of death was determined to be heat exposure due to weather conditions. There are no signs of foul play at this time.”

Meanwhile, on June 27, 83-year-old Martha Irene Van Egmond died in Bolton, Mississippi. after falling in the garden. When her husband Rick tried to help her, she fell too. The couple could not stand up for hours in the heat.

Rick Van Egmond said he and his wife called for help and two men eventually arrived from a nearby apartment complex, but it was too late for Martha. He died among the flowers doing what he loved, he told the local news outlet WAPT.

Hinds County’s chief fatality investigator, Jeramiah Howard, attributed his death to the heat combined with his age, WAPT reported.

As Donald Trump spoke during rain-soaked celebrations in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, emergency services there had treated 51 people with temperature-related issues as of 8 p.m. ET, with 12 taken to nearby hospitals, according to local emergency response officials.

Other events scheduled for Saturday, including the Independence Day parade in D.C., were canceled amid the scorching heat. Among other weather-related disruptions, Trump’s so-called Great American State Fair on the National Mall was also temporarily closed Friday. reports It was stated that 44 visitors were treated for heat-related illnesses.

The worst of the heat began to emerge from the northeastern and midwestern regions of the United States on Sunday and moved further south into the mid-Atlantic and southeastern parts of the country.

However, scientists warn that heat waves that cause extreme temperatures are an indication that the world must reduce greenhouse gas pollution that is causing the global climate crisis.

NWS urges the public to avoid heat illness by drinking plenty of fluids, staying out of the sun and staying in air-conditioned environments. Authorities also asked people to check on relatives and neighbors.