The city that never sleeps should get ready to sweat.
The summer solstice is set to arrive on Friday, marking the start of the sunniest season of the year. The first full week of summer will also bring with it New York’s first heat wave.
It will begin in the mid-90s on Sunday, courtesy of “a strong bubble of high pressure” — called a “heat dome” — that is expected to envelop much of the eastern U.S., according to the Weather Channel. It will stave off the clouds, and in turn, the City’s chances for rain, resulting in intense sunshine and a devastating humidity that will make conditions outside all the more uncomfortable.
What’s more, there’s little sign of relief in sight. The intense heat is expected to last at least through the next 10 days or so, bringing with it record-breaking warmth for New York, where temperatures could climb into the triple digits in the coming days. According to the National Weather Service, the “hottest temperatures are likely this weekend into the first half of next week,” with “moderate risk of extreme heat” to follow.
On Monday, it will begin to approach 100 degree weather, with a high of 97 in the forecast. And then, on Tuesday, temperatures could peak at around 101 degrees in NYC, with a string of upper-90 degree weather days after that, the NWS said.
Nationwide, temperatures are forecast to shoot past 90 degrees for around 220 million people, while an additional 35 million people could face temps exceeding 100 degrees next week. The heat will be particularly fierce over the weekend across huge swaths of Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, where forecasters are warning of extreme temperature impacts.
Experts have warned residents, especially the elderly and disabled, to avoid going outside in the peak heat, noting that “heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in “hundreds of fatalities” each year.
As of early Thursday, extreme heat watches, warnings and advisories were already issued for much of the Southwest, Rockies, Plains, Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast — and they’re only likely to expand in the coming days. The rapid warm-up also brings with it the potential for a severe thunderstorm or two in the earlier evening hours, but the rain is expected to end before Friday, clearing the way for a sunny and warm weekend.
Temperatures on Saturday will hover in the mid- to upper 80s before the heat wave strikes.
With News Wire Services
Originally Published: June 19, 2025 at 1:15 PM EDT
