Heat wave intensifies in US

A gruelling heatwave has intensified over eastern parts of the US and Canada, with today expected to be the region’s hottest day yet.
Temperatures feel as high as 46C (115F) in places along the crowded east coast, with no relief expected until after the weekend.
At least 22 deaths have been blamed on the heat, and 223 heat records have been breached across the US alone.
As much as 45 per cent of the US population was under a heat advisory, officials said.
Meteorologists have put the temperatures down to a “dome” of high pressure in the atmosphere.
Many regions in the central US and parts of the eastern seaboard have seen heat indexes – a combination of temperature and humidity – topping 43C.
In New York, though, residents were warned to stay out of the water at city beaches after sewage was pumped into the Hudson River.
The blistering heat has also hit parts of Canada, with temperatures in Toronto expected to top 35C on Friday, according to Environment Canada. (BBC)