The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ, has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Philadelphia. Heat index values could reach 105 degrees, making conditions extremely dangerous. The warning is in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM EDT Wednesday.
Areas impacted by this warning include Mercer, Camden, Gloucester, and Northwestern Burlington counties in New Jersey, and Delaware, Eastern Montgomery, Lower Bucks, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania. Residents are urged to take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses, with the National Weather Service advising people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. These measures should be taken seriously as the high humidity events can elevate the potential for heat strokes and related conditions.
A heat warning and an Air Quality Alert have been declared. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection have labeled it a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Ground Level Ozone, effective from 11 AM to 11 PM EDT Tuesday.
As the week progresses, the weather is not expected to provide much relief. Forecasts indicate a mixture of sunny skies interspersed with chances of showers and thunderstorms, particularly Wednesday night with a 40% chance and again on Saturday with a 50% chance. The heat is part of the city experiencing high temperatures, dropping briefly to the high 70s midweek, then rising again by the weekend.
