![A farmer walks along his rows of seed corn during harvest in temperatures over 37 degrees Celsius near Albany, Georgia, Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2025/07/CP-2023-0309/31138899.jpg)
A farmer walks along his rows of seed corn during harvest in temperatures over 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) near Albany, Georgia, on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Tampa International Airport saw its all-time high temperature record broken on Sunday when the mercury soared to 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 37.2 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) set in June 2020.
The National Weather Service reported on Tuesday that the intense heat is expected to peak midweek in the Southeast. A powerful upper-level ridge is also fueling a “dangerous and prolonged” heat wave across the central and eastern regions. New Jersey counties outside New York City remain under an extreme heat warning through Wednesday night, with Manhattan sweltering at 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit).
In Savannah, Georgia’s historic downtown, landscaper Darius Cowherd sought refuge in his work truck after a morning spent mowing, trimming, and leaf-blowing in Forsyth Park.
“I filled it with ice at 7 this morning, and it’s all melted by 10:30,” Cowherd said, sipping from a nearly gallon-sized water bottle. Even the park’s canopy of live oaks offered little respite from the heat.
“It’s hot even when you’re working in the shade,” added Cowherd, who sported a wide-brimmed hat for protection.
Temperatures in Savannah were forecast to hit 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with the heat index—how hot it actually feels—approaching a blistering 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the National Weather Service.
Tuesday was expected to bring record-breaking heat across Florida, with highs around 37.7 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). The Tampa Bay area braced for heat index values between 45 and 47.7 degrees Celsius (113 and 118 degrees Fahrenheit).
The central U.S., from New Orleans to St. Louis, also faced extreme heat warnings. Heat index values were predicted to reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in the St. Louis area and southwest Illinois.
In downtown Savannah, tourists braved the sidewalks despite the oppressive conditions, with some using umbrellas for shade.
Nearby, Luis Hernandez worked in direct sunlight, perched on a ladder to paint second-floor windows of a 19th-century home. He wore long sleeves to ward off sunburn.
Hernandez said a colleague made sure they had a cooler of water, and the crew took air-conditioned breaks every couple of hours.
“Sure, it’s hot,” Hernandez admitted, “almost too much.” In Tallahassee, as afternoon temperatures climbed, Willie Gaines and his crew paused from painting traffic lines on freshly paved roads near the All Saints neighborhood. Seeking shelter under a tree, they felt heat radiating from the blacktop and inhaled the heavy fumes of fresh asphalt.
“Everybody’s saying they’ve never seen it this hot,” Gaines remarked. (AP)
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