It was a scorcher outside today with our third day in a row of temperatures at or above 90 degrees, meaning we can now officially say we are in a heat wave, which has to be at least 3 consecutive days at or above 90 degrees. Temperatures today didn’t just stop at 90 degrees, with multiple locations in the Lehigh Valley achieving a feat that has rarely happened in the last century: reaching a high of at least 100 degrees. The heat wave is expected to last through the end of this weekend, giving us a real taste of summer for the Fourth of July.
In Allentown, temperatures topped out at 101° – just one degree shy of the record set back in 2018. It also marks the 27th 100-degree day for the city in the last 100 years. Where we did break a record was Reading, where today’s high reached 103°. The previous record stood at 102°, and was set all the way back in 1966. Additionally, as of 6 PM, Trenton tied its 1901 record of 100° and both Mount Pocono and Philadelphia were within one degree of their respective records.
It wasn’t just the air temperatures that were hot, either. Feels like temperatures, which factor in both the air temperature and dewpoint temperature, also soared today with some areas reaching as high as 110°. Similar conditions to those felt today are expected for tomorrow, with temperatures nearing or topping the 100-degree mark across the Lehigh Valley, and heat index temperatures up to 110° possible yet again. The hot weather will persist into the weekend, though highs will only be in the upper 90s for Fourth of July Saturday, and into the low 90s by Sunday. An extreme heat warning continues to be in effect through 8 PM on Saturday, so continue to exercise caution when going outside; remember to drink plenty of fluids, wear light-colored clothes, stay in an air-conditioned space as much as possible, keep an eye out for those around you, and look before you lock…