Summerlike heat baking the Midwest to build toward US East Coast

Despite the start of astronomical fall, ongoing heat from the central United States will spread toward the Atlantic coast through early week.

While Hurricane Maria cruises northward near the U.S. East Coast, hot air more typical of the middle of summer will expand to encompass much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation.

Many areas over the central and eastern U.S. will have higher temperatures during this spell of hot weather than during all of August.

Ninety-degree Fahrenheit air extended from the Gulf Coast to the Plains, Ohio Valley and the central Great Lakes on Friday as highs in the 80s encompassed the mid-Atlantic. A few locations in Kansas topped 100.

These conditions will continue into early week.

Across the Northern states, a heat wave is defined as three or more days with high temperatures of 90 or above. This criteria has already been met in Chicago, Cleveland and Indianapolis.

Chicago is in the midst of its second latest stretch of three or more consecutive 90-degree days on record. The streak that spanned Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in 1971 sits at the top spot.

"This stretch of 90-degree heat will also be the longest of the summer, surpassing the streak from June 10-12," AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Greene said.

By the time cooler air returns on Wednesday, Chicago is likely to endure seven consecutive 90-degree days with records being threatened on each day.

Many areas in the Appalachians and coastal areas of the mid-Atlantic and New England that have escaped the peak of the heat thus far will join in early this week.

Cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore may come close to recording a September heat wave with the weather pattern.

Some daily records established during the late-1800s will be challenged or broken. Temperatures will average 10-20 degrees above normal.

AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will reach the upper 90s to near 100 over much of this swath during the middle and latter part of the afternoon hours each day.

The heat and high humidity will be no stranger to the Southern states, especially in areas undergoing strenuous cleanup following hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

People should exercise caution and restrict strenuous physical activity during the hottest conditions. Intake of non-alcoholic fluids and frequent breaks are a must under these conditions to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Autumn typically puts residents in the mood to pick apples and make applesauce. However, the warmth threatens to impact the apple crop.

Heat causes apples to ripen faster than usual and can affect the color, according to WTEN-TV in Albany, New York.

Mother Nature, however, will offer some comfort. Long nights, compared to the summer, will allow temperatures to fall to cool levels during the evening and remain there into the daylight morning hours. This will be the least stressful time for vigorous exercise.

In addition, some of the cool weather being experienced in the West will work eastward during the middle and latter part of the week.

This push of cool air should help to push Maria back out to sea after it attempts to come close enough to North Carolina's Outer Banks to deliver rain and gusty winds at midweek.

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