More than 70 million in 14 states under heat alerts amid blistering heat wave

NEW YORK — More than 70 million people in 14 states from the Midwest into the Northeast were under heat alerts on Wednesday amid a sweltering early summer heat wave.

The extreme heat was expected on Wednesday to stretch farther north, touching parts of central and northern Maine.

The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine, issued its first-ever excessive heat warning. Temperatures there are expected to reach 96 degrees, matching the record high.

Records are also possible on Wednesday in Concord, New Hampshire, at 97; Detroit, Michigan, at 94; Cleveland, Ohio, at 91; Buffalo, New York, at 91; and Hartford, Connecticut, at 95.

The record heat is expected to continue for the Northeast over the next few days, with hottest day for I-95 corridor to be on Thursday.

The dome of high pressure that is causing all the record heat is expected to begin to move back into the Ohio Valley by the end of the week and into the weekend.

The movement may bring record highs to major Midwestern cities, including Chicago, by Saturday.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.