Rising mercury kills 150
around 150 people have succumbed to heatwave conditions in Chicago. New York recorded its hottest July in history with temperatures soaring above 32 degrees for eight days in a row. Officials said the death toll could rise and they are waiting for autopsy results to give the precise number. As many as 50 people died within a day, a government spokesperson said. However, after 12 days of sweltering heat, meteorologists said a cold front pushing across the nation may bring some relief. A 75-year-old man died in his home after he mistakenly turned on his heater instead of the air conditioner, news reports said. Officials added that the toll may rise, even though the heat warnings were lifted in parts of the mid-west as the cold front swept through the region that had been baked for almost two weeks.