5 8 ▁people ▁and ▁ 6 0 0 ▁horses ▁died . ▁ ▁Description ▁▁ ▁Through out ▁June , ▁the ▁temperature ▁had ▁been ▁consistent ▁with ▁what ▁normally ▁was ▁felt ▁during ▁New ▁England ▁sum mers , ▁but ▁starting ▁in ▁July , ▁dry ▁air ▁which ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁southern ▁great ▁pla ins ▁began ▁to ▁flow ▁into ▁Canada ▁before ▁being ▁swe pt ▁south ▁toward ▁the ▁east ▁coast . ▁The ▁hot ▁wind ▁suppress ed ▁cool er ▁ocean ▁b ree zes , ▁and ▁this ▁caused ▁the ▁temperature ▁to ▁rise ▁so ▁suddenly ▁and ▁dram atically ▁that ▁in ▁Prov idence ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁ 1 1 ▁degree ▁rise ▁in ▁temperature ▁in ▁a ▁half ▁hour . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁between ▁Pennsylvania ▁to ▁Maine ▁was ▁reported ly ▁most ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁heat . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 1 ▁days , ▁temperature ▁records ▁were ▁set ▁all ▁over ▁New ▁England . ▁In ▁Boston , ▁the ▁temperature ▁rose ▁to ▁ 1 0 4 ° ▁( 4 0   ° C ) ▁on ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁an ▁all - time ▁record ▁high ▁that ▁still ▁stands ▁today . ▁ ▁The ▁heat wave ▁was ▁finally ▁ended ▁by ▁a ▁severe ▁th under st orm , ▁which ▁tra ve led ▁across ▁the ▁N ortheast ▁and ▁killed ▁an ▁additional ▁five ▁people . ▁ ▁He at wave ▁impact s ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁heat wave ▁caused ▁crow ds ▁in ▁major ▁cities ▁to ▁form ▁around ▁therm om eters ▁so ▁they ▁could ▁watch ▁the ▁temperature ▁rise . ▁Ped est ri ans ▁in ▁these ▁crow ds ▁reported ly ▁began ▁to ▁collapse ▁from