Trending Now - Mid-atlantic Endures Heatwave Ahead of Incoming Storms

WHO:

ABC News - Philadelphia school district, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, student Ariolainy Baez

NBC News - Residents of the mid-Atlantic region

WHAT:

ABC News - The Philadelphia school district shifted to remote learning for students at 57 schools due to inadequate air conditioning.

ABC News - Daily high temperature records were broken in Portland, Maine, at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) and Boston, at 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 degrees Celsius).

NBC News - Temperatures in the mid-Atlantic soared into the mid-90s.

WHERE:

ABC News - Eastern U.S., specifically Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Portland, Maine, and Boston.

NBC News - Mid-Atlantic region and Eastern Seaboard.

WHEN:

ABC News - A heat advisory was in effect through Wednesday evening.

NBC News - A storm front is expected to take over the Eastern Seaboard.

WHY:

ABC News - The heat wave is attributed to early-season heat affecting the eastern U.S.

HOW:

ABC News - In Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, officials set up fans, passed around bottled water, and allowed students to wear shorts and T-shirts instead of uniforms.

ABC News - City officials in New York City opened cooling centers to help residents find relief from the heat.

(UPDATED May 20, 2026 21:31 UTC)

In response to a severe heat wave affecting the eastern U.S., the Philadelphia school district has shifted to remote learning for students at 57 schools due to inadequate air conditioning. Daily high temperature records were shattered in both Portland, Maine, where it reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit, and Boston, which hit 96 degrees Fahrenheit, while temperatures in the mid-Atlantic soared into the mid-90s. To help residents cope with the extreme heat, city officials in New York City have opened cooling centers, and in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, they provided fans, bottled water, and relaxed dress codes for students.