There have been at least 19 suspected heat-related deaths across New Jersey as temperatures continue to soar over the July 4 holiday, officials said.
“We started to see what we believed to be heat-related deaths as early as Thursday of this week… many of these individuals were found in homes without air conditioning,” New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington said in a press briefing Saturday.
The metropolitan area has experienced a historic heat wave heading into the July 4 holiday, with temperatures in New York City and the Garden State hitting historic highs.
Central Park reached 100 degrees Thursday, tying it for the hottest day in the city since 1966. It was the first time the park hit triple digits since 2012. The Manhattan park reached 99 degrees the same time last year.
Brutal humidity and sweltering conditions left New Yorkers scrambling for shade as real-feel temperatures surged to as much as 110 degrees.
Big Apple subways have felt like an inferno with temperatures hitting the mid-to-high 90s in multiple subway lines, with real feels breaking 100 degrees and climbing.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged New Yorkers to keep their thermostats cranked up to a blistering 78 degrees amid the heatwave.
“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool, set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can,” Hizzoner wrote in a post on X.
New York City health officials said there were no confirmed heat-related deaths so far during the current heat wave.
“Tragically, we lose about 500 New Yorkers due to heat-related illness annually. That is why the Mamdani Administration is taking a whole-of-government response to extreme heat,” a city hall spokesperson said in a statement.
Even flash thunderstorms weren’t able to break the heat’s grip on the city.
Heat-fueled thunderstorms with winds of 60 mph punished the metro area and left thousands without power Friday.
Trees were downed onto cars in powerlines in Morris and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey, leaving some beleaguered residents trapped.
Over 10,000 New Yorkers lost power in Queens as a result of the storms.
But despite the cool air brought in from the tempests, the city still neared 100 degrees Saturday ahead of the big fireworks display.
