Much-needed relief comes to Northeast after dangerous heat dome sends temperatures soaring
The FOX Forecast Center said the heat dome that impacted tens of millions of people across the Plains and along the East Coast will begin to wane on Thursday. However, the real relief comes Friday.
Much-needed relief comes to Northeast after dangerous heat dome sends temperatures soaring
Some much-needed relief is coming to millions of people in the Northeast after a dayslong, dangerous heat dome sent temperatures soaring into record territory. FOX Weather Meteorologists Craig Herrera and Michael Estime break down the latest on June 26, 2025.
NEW YORK – A massive heat dome that sparked the first major heat wave of the summer brought record-breaking temperatures to cities from the Midwest to the Northeast this week, but some much-needed relief from the extreme weather has arrived.
Officials across the eastern half of the U.S. urged people to prepare and take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses as temperatures skyrocketed. Still, it wasn’t only the heat that proved to be dangerous.
NEW YORK CITY - JUNE 25: Bottled water sits for sale as people try to stay cool on what is expected to be one of the hottest days of the year on June 25, 2025 in New York City.
(Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
On Monday, a group of 20 people, including children, were cooling off in a South Carolina lake when they were suddenly struck by lightning as a thunderstorm swept through Lexington.
It was also a dangerous day for firefighters in Massachusetts, who not only had to battle flames, but also the elements.
The Norfolk Police Department said a three-alarm fire broke out at a home on Main Street on Tuesday morning, and two firefighters needed to be taken to a local hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion.
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The extreme heat also led to issues on roadways across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
In New Jersey, the state's Department of Transportation (DOT) said heat led to the expansion of bridge joints on Interstate 287 in Riverdale and Montville, causing the concrete road to buckle.
Several lanes were closed while crews made repairs, and the DOT announced that the roadway was fully reopened around 11 a.m.
This image shows the Chesapeake Fire Department in Virginia pouring water on a bridge that became stuck in extreme heat on June 24, 2025.
(Chesapeake Fire Department/Facebook / FOX Weather)
And in Virginia, fire crews helped local officials dump cooling water on a bridge in Chesapeake that became stuck due to the high temperatures.
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Power grids strained as millions crank up the air conditioners
Power transmission lines during high temperatures in Columbia, South Carolina, US, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
(Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In the Southeast, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order amid surging power demand to help mitigate the risk of blackouts. The order authorized Duke Energy Carolina to utilize resources to operate at its maximum output levels in the extreme heat.
The emergency order remained in effect through Wednesday.
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Watch: Cows keep cool in North Carolina creek amid heat wave
A video shared from North Carolina shows some cows at the Feathered Farm in Zebulon trying to keep cool in a creek amid a heat wave on June 24, 2025.
Shelters were opened in Middleborough, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, after a town-wide power outage plunged thousands of utility customers into darkness as temperatures soared. Power was restored just before 9 p.m., but the town's library remained open until 11 p.m. for residents to stay cool.
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Power companies across the East Coast were urging customers to conserve energy as temperatures soared, but said they were prepared to respond to any outages.
Con Edison said crews worked around the clock in hot conditions to restore power to customers in the Bronx in New York City and even handed out dry ice to their customers.
Eversource also asked its customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire to be aware of their energy usage.
"While high electricity usage during a heat wave can put a strain on the electric system, the energy company is prepared to meet the increased demand, and its crews are ready to respond to any outages or issues that may arise," the company said.
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Relief from stifling heat arrives
(FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said that the heat dome that impacted tens of millions of people across the Plains and along the East Coast will begin to wane on Thursday across much of the Northeast.
However, the real relief comes Friday, when temperatures could drop as much as 40 degrees in some locations.
And, unfortunately, the cooler temperatures won’t be enjoyed as rain and thunderstorms will accompany the cooldown.
The heat wave peaked in intensity on Tuesday as a strong ridge of high pressure settled over the East. More than 100 record-high temperatures were broken in numerous cities between Monday and Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia set its third record-high temperature in a row this week. Temperatures there hit 99 degrees on Monday, 101 degrees on Tuesday and 99 degrees on Wednesday – all records.
Tuesday also marked the first time Philadelphia hit 100 degrees in 13 years.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 24: A man waters on his head to cool down amid high temperatures at Time Square on June 24, 2025 in New York City. Tens of millions of people in major cities across the U.S. Northeast are facing record high temperatures on Tuesday on what was expected to be the worst day of an oppressive heat wave that has spread over much of the country since late last week. (Photo by Liao Pan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
On Monday, 30 cities across the eastern half of the U.S. broke or tied century-old records, and another 11 cities did the same on Tuesday. Among the most notable records that were broken on Tuesday included Islip, New York, which reached 100 degrees. That makes it the third-hottest day on record for that location.
Plattsburgh, New York, tied its old record of 101 degrees, and Newark, New Jersey, hit 103 degrees, breaking its daily record and tying its monthly record.
Boston soared to 102 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, and Philadelphia hit 101 degrees. That’s the first time Philadelphia has hit 100 degrees since July 18, 2012.
In total, the FOX Forecast Center said temperatures topped 100 degrees in 13 states, while records from North Carolina to Maine fell.