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CNN Live Today

Temperature Hitting Record Highs

Aired April 17, 2002 - 11:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The numbers that people are talking about all deal with the heat. April feeling more like August here in New York and up and down the East Coast as well. Yesterday temperatures hit the 90s and more of the same sizzling results are expected today.

I just want to show quickly the cover of "The New York Times" here. It's hard to tell, but that green picture there, that's an aerial shot of Central Park and all of the people just trying to escape the heat by being out on the lawn. Oh, it's Bryant Park, actually, and the caption underneath the picture here reads, "Hello, Boss, my mother is ill and I won't be in this afternoon." People taking advantage of the weather.

But for some people, it's just a little bit too warm. It was 92 yesterday in New York City. That broke a record that has stood since 1986.

Philadelphia not too far away from here, another Eastern city that's been hit hard by the high heat this week, and let's get some of those sweaty details on the forecast from Paul Deanno of our affiliate station KWY in Philly -- Paul, a warm good morning to you.

PAUL DEANNO, KWY REPORTER: A warm good morning to you too. I checked out your temperature. You are sitting at 89 degrees at the 11:00 hour. We in Philadelphia official are at 85 degrees, although northeast Philadelphia already at 89 degrees.

Earlier today, we had forecasted a high of 93 degrees. That would be a new daily record for Philadelphia. The old record set back in 1976, but now we bumped up that forecast. We now think it's going to officially hit 95 degrees in Philadelphia.

KAGAN: Wow!

DEANNO: That would be a record high for the entire month of April if we do hit that 95 today. So very warm down here. There's a pretty long line waiting for the Liberty Bell. A lot of students have taken the opportunity to come outside and enjoy the nice weather and see some history down here as well.

KAGAN: And, Paula, just to put this in perspective, because I know a lot of my friends back in Arizona and California are going, what's the big deal. But what temperature should it be this time of year?

DEANNO: Normal high for Philadelphia this time of year, Daryn, is 62 degrees. And some people are saying, why is this happening? Well, the same pattern that gave us temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the winter is now giving us temperatures in the 90s in the springtime. A lot of people have been asking where is spring? Well, spring happened in the winter, and now summer is happening in the spring. So who knows what's going to happen come summertime.

KAGAN: Yes. But this isn't here to stay. I mean, you're not going to expect 90 degree temperatures all the say through July. I mean, it will probably come back down.

DEANNO: Yes, we hope it's going to come back down. Our forecast has us down back to 60s by Sunday, and ironically, we looked back this one year, 1976, Easter weekend, that's when all these records were set that we are now breaking. That summer was the coldest summer that we had all decade long. The highest temperature, 94, that I had mentioned. That was the high temperature for the entire year. We didn't get any higher than that, even in July and August.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, Paul Deanno from KWY. Tell your news director you have my permission to loosen your tie as the day goes on.

DEANNO: Short sleeves day, yes.

KAGAN: Yes, absolutely. I appreciate your help from Philly -- thanks so much.

DEANNO: Sure.

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