Another early heat wave hits this week, this time in the Northeast

HeatAnother early heat wave hits this week, this time in the NortheastLast month was the hottest March ever recorded in the U.S. Now, record-breaking temperatures are expected again from the Plains to the Northeast.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00People walk around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir among the cherry blossoms Monday in Central Park in New York City.Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 3:19 PM EDTBy Denise ChowRecord-breaking heat is expected to take hold across states from the Plains to the Northeast this week, causing temperatures to soar to unseasonable highs.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The early heat wave comes less than a month after oppressive heat choked much of the western United States. Now, it appears to be the turn of the eastern part of the country.Around 135 million people in the central and eastern U.S. are likely to experience temperatures at least 15 degrees above average Tuesday. Highs well over 80 degrees Fahrenheit will be common in parts of Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.By Wednesday and Thursday, the summerlike heat is expected to intensify and spread, reaching into the 90s across the mid-Atlantic region, according to the National Weather Service. More than 100 record-high temperatures could be broken this week, including some all-time April records, according to meteorologists.In St. Louis, for instance, highs Tuesday could reach 90. In Memphis, Tennessee, highs are forecast to hit 87 on Tuesday, while Richmond, Virginia, could reach 91 before climbing to 94 by midweek.The Northeast will also bake under temperatures that are more common in the summer than in April. Philadelphia is expected to reach 87 on Tuesday before the heat intensifies to a high of 91 later in the week. New York City could hi...