At least 24 people have been killed in a heat wave that is gripping parts of US, bringing temperatures approaching 40 degree Celsius along with high humidity.
The temperatures could go up even higher in the central and eastern parts of the country.
New York city experienced a record high this week as the temperature soared to 40 degree Celsius -- just a degree short of its all time high.
Con Edison, the company that electrifies New York, said that its overall electric use peaked at 13,189 megawatts (MW) at 4 pm yesterday, eclipsing the all-time record of 13,141 MW set on August 2, 2006.
A combination of heat and humidity is causing a toxic steaming effect, as skyscrapers are also absorbing the heat.
The heat also called power outages impacting at least 24,000 people in NYC alone.
The temperature in Newark, New Jersey soared to 42 degrees -- the highest ever in the city.
Heat advisories and air quality alert were sent out for many parts of the Northeast today.
Hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with heat-inflicted patients.
{{/usCountry}}Hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with heat-inflicted patients.
{{/usCountry}}Fifty-five cities have experienced record temperatures.