Monday 06 / July / 2026
New Jersey: New Jersey has recorded 19 deaths linked to the severe heatwave that swept across the US Midwest and Atlantic coast, as a powerful typhoon struck the Pacific island of Rota.
State Health Commissioner Raynard Washington said several of the deceased were found in homes without air conditioning, while others were discovered outdoors — some on the streets and others inside parked cars.
The National Weather Service said heat warnings for extremely high or dangerous temperatures covered about 160 million Americans, urging residents to stay indoors, check on neighbours, drink more water than usual, and seek air‑conditioned spaces if their homes lacked cooling.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned of the severity of the situation, saying: "This weather is extreme and dangerous, and this is the longest stretch of dangerously high temperatures we have seen in more than 14 years."
Heatwaves are among the most pronounced signs of climate change, becoming more frequent, prolonged and intense across the United States, Europe and other regions.
Meteorologists attribute the current heatwave to a "heat dome" — a phenomenon in which hot air becomes trapped under high atmospheric pressure, much like a lid traps steam in a cooking pot.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Bavi, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, struck the US island of Rota in the Pacific, with warnings of widespread destruction following reports of severe damage.
The National Weather Service said the typhoon was moving over Rota with winds of up to 290 kilometres per hour, urging residents to take immediate shelter and treat the powerful winds as an imminent threat.
Local authorities on the island — home to about 1,500 people and located at the southern tip of the Northern Mariana Islands — said they had received reports of severe property damage.
On neighbouring Guam, authorities forecast rainfall of 20 to 30 centimetres, warning of possible flash flooding.
The National Weather Service said most of Rota could become uninhabitable for weeks or longer if the typhoon makes a direct hit.
A large number of non‑concrete and unsupported homes would be at risk of destruction, with roofs likely torn off and walls collapsing under the force of the winds, it added.
Typhoon Bavi comes less than three months after Super Typhoon Senlaku struck the region in April, cutting power to tens of thousands, uprooting trees, overturning vehicles and tearing metal roofing from buildings.
