Eastern US sweats through another hot day before rain, cold move in

A person uses an umbrella to shield themselves from the sun during a heat advisory in Central Park, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

2026-05-20T16:31:43Z

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The eastern U.S. sweated through a second day of early-season heat Wednesday, with some schoolchildren being sent home while others stayed in sweltering classrooms.

The Philadelphia school district shifted to remote learning for students at 57 schools, saying that while it has made progress, a number of schools continue to have inadequate air conditioning.

The National Weather Service said another day of record heat was expected from the mid-Atlantic to New England before a cold front brings rain later in the week. Daily high temperature records were broken Tuesday in Portland, Maine, at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) and Boston, at 96 degrees (35.5 degrees Celsius).

In Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, officials at one high school set up fans, passed around bottled water and allowed students to wear shorts and T-shirts instead of their usual uniforms.

“The heat outside feels like it’s manageable because of the wind but inside it feels just tight and burdening because we also have to go through quizzes, exams, there is no excuse,” student Ariolainy Baez told CBS News.

A heat advisory was in effect for portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island through Wednesday evening.

In New York City, city officials opened cooling centers to help residents find relief.

“Just as New Yorkers look out for one another through the coldest days of winter, we must do the same through the hottest days of the year,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

____

Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Vejpongsa is a video journalist for The Associated Press in Philadelphia. She was previously based in Taipei and Bangkok. twitter