1896 Eastern North America heat wave
- When
- 1896
- Where
- Eastern North America
- Episodes
- 1
The 1896 Eastern North America heat wave was a ten-day event in August that killed approximately 1,500 people across cities including Chicago, Boston, New York City, and Newark. The extreme heat featured high humidity and little breeze, with daily highs exceeding 90°F in New York City from August 4 to 13.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The heat wave occurred in August 1896 and lasted for ten days. It affected much of Eastern North America, specifically impacting major urban centers such as New York City, Boston, Newark, and Chicago. The event resulted in a significant loss of life, with about 1,500 deaths recorded across the region.
Meteorological Conditions. In New York City, daily high temperatures reached at least 90°F (32°C) between August 4 and August 13. These conditions were characterized by high humidity and little breeze, creating a stifling environment that contributed to the high mortality rate during the ten-day period.
Mortality and Impact. The heat wave killed about 1,500 people in total. In Boston, the Boston Globe reported that at least 60 deaths occurred specifically due to the heat. The event is remembered as a deadly episode in New England and Eastern North America history.
People involved
- Boston Globe · News Outlet
Sources
- 1896 Eastern North America heat wave Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.