It's official: This heat wave is one of the all-time greats. Temperatures soared to a record-high 104 degrees in New York City and to 108 degrees in Newark—the hottest day in the city's history, reports NBC. It's much the same everywhere from Kansas to Maine, reports AP, with heat indexes routinely topping 110 degrees.
Electricity companies in New York are reducing voltage to nearly 100,000 homes to ease stress on the grid, and officials say residents can expect scattered outages through the weekend. Emergency room visits are up across the country, summer schools in Philadelphia have been canceled, and the heat killed at least six more people nationwide yesteray. Temperatures aren't expected to ease until Sunday. (More heatwave stories.)