New York (CNN) -- The first major heat wave of the summer blanketed the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday with scorching temperatures that swept across the region. Hot air -- often in excess of 90 degrees -- stretched from Maine to North Carolina, with the highest temperatures hitting parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to the National Weather Service. "Very few areas are forecast to be below 90 degrees in the Northeast," said agency spokeswoman Susan Buchanan. 5 tips to survive extreme heat States across the mid-Atlantic also had heat indices that reached 105 degrees, said the National Weather Service, which issued warnings and advisories across the region.
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"Few areas (will be) below 90 degrees in the Northeast," weather service says
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Last year, the weather service reported 206 heat-related deaths nationwide
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In the past decade, heat has been the second-leading cause for weather-related deaths
Cities across the @placeholder designated cooling centers and have issued advisories in an effort to help keep residents safe, according to emergency management officials in several cities.