Early Heat Wave Challenges Records in Eastern US

An unusual early-season heat wave is gripping the eastern United States, with temperatures expected to surge into the 90s and challenge daily records in major cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., starting Wednesday and persisting through the weekend.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service predict highs of 86 degrees Fahrenheit in New York City's Central Park on Wednesday, nearing the existing record of 87 degrees set in 1941. Philadelphia could reach 92 degrees, while Washington, D.C., faces a possible high of 94 degrees and Atlanta 88 degrees. The heat, driven by a strong ridge of high pressure trapping warm air from the Midwest, will affect nearly 30 million people with afternoon temperatures of 90 degrees or higher. Already, 31 new record highs were set between Tuesday and Wednesday morning across the region.

"This is borderline unprecedented as far as the duration of it this time of year," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. He noted that records could be challenged from Georgia through the New York area and into the Ohio Valley. The wave's length sets it apart, as April highs near 90 degrees occur occasionally, but...