Powerful storms threaten 70M in Northeast, Mid-Atlantic with heat indexes hitting triple digits

Strong thunderstorms are expected to redevelop Friday afternoon across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, threatening more than 70 million people from Kentucky to Vermont.The severe weather is being fueled by near-record heat, with temperatures forecast to reach the mid-90s from the Carolinas to New York City.An initial round of severe weather ripped through the region Thursday afternoon, with the National Weather Service (NWS) receiving numerous reports of damaging wind gusts across New York’s Southern Tier, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.Thursday’s storms knocked out power to 61,000 customers in Western Pennsylvania.According to the FOX Forecast Center, storms are expected to develop across the lower Great Lakes and the upper Ohio Valley by early Friday afternoon, before charging eastward toward the heavily populated Interstate 95 corridor through the day.NOAA’s Storm Predictrion Center (SPC) issued a broad Level 2 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms for the region including, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore and New York City.Damaging wind gusts, potentially over 60 mph, and hail will be the primary hazards.The FOX Forecast Center said chances of severe storms aren’t letting up anytime soon. Another round of severe storms is forecast to develop over the Mid-Atlantic Sunday, with the greatest threat centered over Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.The severe weather is being fueled by the warmest temperatures of the year across the East Coast.With high moisture in place and high temperatures surging to around 10 to 15 degrees above average, heat index values will be well into the mid 90s and even crack the low 100s.Highs will reach the mid to upper 90s for many locations from Raleigh, North Carolina, through Washington, D.C., and up into New York City.There are currently Heat Advisories in place for much of the East Coast.Through Friday, more than 50 record highs could fall, including in cities such as Washington, D.C.an...