United States of America

Dangerous Heat Wave Grips Eastern US

JUN 23 2025·Updated JUN 24 2025

Story

Above: People rest as temperatures climb in New York City on June 21, 2025. Image credit: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

A dangerous heat wave has been affecting over 150 million people across the Midwest and Eastern United States, with temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) in major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston through Wednesday.
Guardian
The New York Times
CNN
The extreme heat has already broken multiple daily temperature records, with Minneapolis hitting 96 degrees Sunday, breaking a 1910 record. Mitchell, South Dakota reached 104 degrees Saturday, surpassing its previous record of 101 degrees.
USA Today
Fox Weather
Heat index values combining temperature and humidity are forecast to reach 110-115 degrees across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, with nighttime temperatures remaining in the 70s.
NBC
France 24
The Washington Examiner
New York Mayor Eric Adams warned that heat kills over 500 residents annually, calling the approaching temperatures "brutal and dangerous," while Philadelphia declared a heat health emergency through Wednesday evening.
CBS News
France 24
City of Philadelphia
Meteorologists have attributed the conditions to a heat dome trapping hot air over the eastern United States.
The Associated Press
NBC
Relief from the sweltering conditions is expected to arrive Wednesday in the Midwest and Thursday in the Northeast, as the heat dome wanes. But temperatures may remain above average in the Mid-Atlantic through the weekend.
washingtontimes.com
The New York Times
NBC

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The Spin

Climate activist narrative

Preventing these severe heat waves requires immediate government action and resources. Cities are rightfully opening cooling centers and declaring heat emergencies to protect vulnerable populations, but these heat waves are exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, meaning we must do more than just mitigate the consequences of human activity and how it's affecting our climate.

CNN

Climate-skeptic narrative

The media drums up too much hysteria regarding heat death. Deaths from cold weather are a far bigger killer, but don't grab headlines. A warming climate could reduce the number of deaths from exposure to cold. Tackling climate change is important work, but it's important to remain clear-eyed about the real dangers and focus on the real issues.

New York Post