Heat wave cooks central and eastern US on Labor Day

A wave of extreme heat is blistering throughout the eastern and central parts of the United States on Labor Day. 

The Washington Post reported on Monday that locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin have set temperature records over the holiday weekend, with several cities recording temperatures hotter than 100 degrees. 

Duluth, Minn., reached a record temperature of 97 degrees Sunday, beating out the previous record by eight degrees and setting a monthly high. 

The eastern part of the country also experienced high temperatures, as Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) set temperature records Sunday. 

Dulles, which reached 99 degrees Sunday, also tied a monthly record high. 

The National Weather Service’s Baltimore-Washington account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted an advisory that recommended residents who may be vulnerable during the string of high temperatures to take extra precautions. 

“If you are spending time outdoors this Labor Day, remember to practice heat safety as the heat index nears/exceeds 100 in some areas this afternoon,” it wrote on X. “Vulnerable populations are recommended to take extra precaution today.”

The wave is expected to spread across from the East Coast to the Southern Plains and the southern region of the country throughout the week. 

Cities such as Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago are expected to see temperatures between the lower and high 90s on Tuesday.

About 38 million residents are expected to see temperatures slated either at or higher than 100 degrees throughout the week, the Post reported.