Interior Northeast, New England shatter heat records after Boston declares heat emergency
Burlington, Vermont reached 98 degrees Tuesday, shattering the old record of 93 set back in 2002. A heat emergency was declared in Boston earlier this week.
Record heat takes over parts of the Northeast
Temperatures in the Northeast could be 10-15 degrees above the typical average.
BOSTON – More than 20 locales set new record-high temperatures across the country Tuesday, including more than 16 in the interior Northeast and New England as a mid-August heat wave roasted what are climatologically some of the coolest regions of the U.S.
Burlington, Vermont, reached 98 degrees Tuesday, shattering the old record of 93 set in 2002.
On Monday, a few cities saw new record-high temperatures, one being Caribou, Maine, which reached 93 degrees. That was its warmest temperature since June 2024.
All of that came after the FOX Forecast Center said it had been a below-average August in terms of temperatures across many parts of the Northeast. This week's heat wave has started to change that.
This graphic shows more than 10 record-high temperatures set across the interior Northeast on Tuesday, August 13, 2025.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
A sprawling area of high pressure pushed up not only temperatures but also humidity for much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, which isn’t that unusual for mid-August. However, across stretches of New England, specifically, temperatures were 20-30 degrees above average.
Severe storms late Wednesday morning helped cut temperatures as the heat wave reached its apex.
The National Weather Service issued Heat Advisories in parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine for Tuesday and early Wednesday morning.
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Costumed revelers walk the plank and jump off the tall ship Denis Sullivan and into Boston Harbor during a heatwave in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 20, 2024.
(Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu / Getty Images)
In addition to the Heat Advisories, Air Quality Alerts were also posted for cities such as New York City and Boston, where ground-level ozone is often an issue during high temperatures.
A heat emergency was also declared in Boston earlier this week.
"Our top priority is ensuring our residents and families are healthy and safe during this period of intense heat," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement. "As temperatures continue to rise, the City is here to support residents in every way possible across every neighborhood. We encourage all of our community members to please take care of yourselves, check on your neighbors, and be prepared to stay cool and safe."
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NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - JULY 15: A woman tries to cool off with a fan that spray water to refresh people during a hot day on July 15, 2024
(Selcuk Acar/Anadolu / Getty Images)
Officials reminded residents that children and pets should never be left alone in vehicles, even for short periods of time. People were also reminded to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning.
Symptoms of a heat-related illness include heavy sweating, clammy skin, dizziness, nausea and muscle aches.
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Nearly 200 people died from heat last year, according to NOAA.