Nine people were hospitalized due to the heat at Paterson high school graduation ceremonies on Monday, and at least 50 others were treated by medical personnel at the scene.
Attendees were overwhelmed by the soaring temperatures at Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson fire chief Alex Alicea told the Bergen Record. Seven different high schools held graduation ceremonies at the stadium on Monday.
Hinchliffe Stadium offers no shade or other protection from the heat. The field is artificial turf, which absorbs and retains more heat than natural grass.
Two high schools held ceremonies in the morning beginning at 9 a.m., according to a schedule shared by Paterson Public Schools. Five more held ceremonies beginning at 12:30 p.m., which went ahead despite troubles with the heat in the morning session, the Record reported.
Temperatures reached the triple digits in Paterson on Monday, with the AccuWeather “RealFeel” hitting at least 113 degrees in the afternoon. Almost the entire state of New Jersey was under an extreme heat warning, with the only exception being a small area of the central coast near Long Branch.
“We simply cannot stress this enough: it will be dangerously hot the next three days,” the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly wrote on social media. Scorching hot conditions are expected to continue across the tristate area on Tuesday and Wednesday.
