Extreme U.S. Weather Pushes Home Energy Bills, Batters Tourism

Excessive heat is bearing down on millions of people, from the US to Europe and Japan, pressuring home energy bills and disrupting tourism.

Photo Insert: Home energy bills are projected to climb 12% to an average of $578 this summer.

Another bout of severe weather in the Northeast on Sunday caused thousands of flight cancellations and delays in Boston, the New York City area, and Washington, D.C., Janet H. Cho reported for Barron’s Daily.

Air temperatures were near 115 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, the National Weather Service said. Italy, Spain, and Greece also recorded triple-digit temperatures.

The Acropolis in Athens was temporarily shut down due to the extreme heat.

Tourists are flocking to take pictures at Death Valley National Park on the California-Nevada border, long considered one of the lowest, hottest, and driest places on Earth. Temperatures were approaching 130 degrees. The record was 134 degrees in 1913.

The National Energy Assistance Directors Association said home energy bills will climb 12% to an average of $578 this summer. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation said large portions of the U.S. could face blackouts.

More than 1,700 flights were canceled Sunday, including hundreds at Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Boston Logan airports, according to FlightAware.com, and close to 10,000 flights were delayed. JetBlue Airways canceled 322, or 30% of its daily flights.

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