Published on July 6 | Updated on July 8
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office said seven people have died from heat-related causes since July 1, when a heat dome over the East Coast brought a string of days with temperatures over 100 degrees to the area.
One heat-related death was also recorded on May 20, during a historic late-spring heat wave.
The last time the city saw eight heat-related deaths was in 2022.
While the summers are getting hotter, heat deaths in the city declined sharply after a heat response system was put in place about 30 years ago.
The health department has ended the heat emergency, but spokesman James Garrow said temperatures and humidity remain high enough to cause heat stress, especially for young children, older adults, pregnant women and those on certain medications. People in those groups should continue to take extra precautions.
In New Jersey, the scorching temps are suspected to have caused at least 25 deaths.
