NEW YORK, Aug 2: The northeastern US region continued to swelter in record heat as the mercury rose up to 40C and many in New York said they believe that global warming has become a fact of life.

New York City undertook a range of preventive measures on Tuesday, from shutting off the coloured lights on the Empire State Building to limiting air-conditioning in the fancy seats of Yankee Stadium, to ordering some municipal buildings to use their generators.

The National Weather Service said the heat index — how hot it feels when the humidity is combined with the air temperature — was due to hit 46C in New York on Wednesday.