Heat warnings were issued today for nearly 60 million Americans due to sweltering temperatures expected in the eastern part of the USAwhich however will not last for a long time.

“A record hot day is expected” in the northeastern states of the country, the US weather service (NWS) warns today.

Temperatures could exceed 37 degrees Celsius, especially on the outskirts of the capital Washington.

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned areas, stay out of the sun and communicate with your relatives and neighbors,” forecasters recommended.

The effects are not expected to last long, however, as a cold air mass will descend from Canada by tomorrow. The heat will linger for a few more days in some areas, including the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys.

With the arrival of the cold front, strong thunderstorms could occur, especially starting this afternoon local time later Thursday, the NWS warned.

Recurring heat waves are an indication of it climate changewhich has been caused by man’s dependence on fossil fuels, scientists point out.

According to a recent report by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which analyzed data in 50 major US cities, the average frequency of heat waves there increased from two each year in the 1960s to six each year in the 2010s and 2020s.

Heat is the weather phenomenon that causes the most deaths in the US, although these deaths are preventable.

According to a study published this week in the scientific journal JAMA, more than 21,500 deaths were linked to heat in the country between 1999 and 2023. And the rate of death linked to high temperatures has been increasing, especially in the past seven years, according to with the same source.