A scorching and record-setting heat wave peaked this weekend across the country, with above-normal triple-digit temperatures stretching from St. Louis to Washington. The heat wave has killed at least 30 people across half the country.
Some cities set heat records for the day, including Washington, at 105, Sioux Falls, S.D., at 104 and Baltimore at 102, the Associated Press reported. Even residents of cities that didn't set records were uncomfortable, with Louisville hitting 105, Indianapolis 104 and Philadelphia 101.
At least 30 deaths were blamed on the heat, including nine in Maryland and 10 in Chicago, mostly among the elderly.
Three elderly people found dead in their houses in Ohio had heart disease, but died of high temperatures in homes lacking power because of recent outages, officials said. Heat was also cited as a factor in three deaths in Wisconsin, two in Tennessee and three in Pennsylvania.
In the Midwest, some residents were drawing comparisons between the current heat wave and the severe heat and drought of the 1930s.
Over 420 deaths were recorded during a 1936 heat wave in St. Louis, which also saw 153 heat-related fatalities during a 14-day period in 1980.
But relief may be coming soon. According to the weather service, a cold front from Canada is expected to move south and break the record-setting heat.
This is set to cause temperatures to drop below average levels over much of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states by Monday.
Severe weather, including thunderstorms and damaging winds, was likely to accompany the cooler temperatures, forecasters said.
