Washington, July 6 (SANA)The death toll linked to the severe heatwave in theU.S.state of New Jersey has risen to 19, according to official health data released on Monday.

The state’s health commissioner said the suspected heat-related deaths involved people found in homes without air conditioning, on streets and inside parked vehicles, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

The U.S. National Weather Servicesaid excessive heat warnings remained in effect for about 160 million people as the country observed the Fourth of July holiday, marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned that the state was experiencing its longest stretch of extreme heat in more than 14 years, urging residents to stay indoors and seek air-conditioned locations.

The United States is being affected this week by a heat dome, a weather pattern in which hot air becomes trapped under a high-pressure system, driving temperatures significantly higher. Scientists sayclimate change,driven largely by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, is contributing to more frequent and more intense heatwaves around the world.