July 23, 2016
If you plan to be outdoors much on Saturday, get ready to roast.
And then prepare to broil as the workweek begins.
While the mercury on Saturday may come up a couple degrees shy of 100, the heat index will likely approach 102 degrees on account of a blazing sun and high humidity.
Related story: El Nino is gone, but Earth continues to be hot, hot, hot
Meanwhile, as Democrats descend on Philadelphia, the region will enter Day 2 of an excessive heat warning posted until 6 p.m. Monday. That warning may be extended through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The high temperature on Sunday will fall off a bit, to 96, but then Monday is looking like the hottest and most humid day of the heat wave, with a forecast temperature of 99 in Philadelphia and a potential real-feel temperature as high as 110 in the urban corridor, forecasters said.
Temperatures are expected to flirt with the record-highs for the dates in both Philadelphia and Atlantic City (see chart below), according to the weather service.
| July 23 | July 24 | July 25 | July 26 | |
| Philadelphia | 101 (2011) | 98 (2011) | 96 (1899) | 101 (1892) |
| Atlantic City | 105 (2011) | 100 (2011) | 99 (2010) | 96 (2011, 1963) |
Folks lucky enough to be at the Jersey Shore or in the Poconos for the weekend will fare better, with high temperatures at least several degrees coolers through Monday.
There is a chance of rain on Monday afternoon, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible. Otherwise, dry conditions will persist, according to forecasters.
The hot and humid conditions create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible, forecasters warned, recommending drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioning, staying out of the sun and checking up on relatives and neighbors.
Heat stroke is an emergency – call 911.
Here's the extended forecasts for Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore and the Poconos:
Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 102. West wind 7 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Calm wind.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 79. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 96.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.I
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 102. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph.
Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. West wind 5 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 87. North wind around 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.
Monday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 77.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 76.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 86.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. West wind 7 to 11 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
