The heat will spread into the eastern U.S. early next week. Credit: AccuWeather
It’s a good thing that Philadelphia’s public pools have begun reopening, as the city is about to get a lot hotter.
Next week, Philadelphians should expect an official heat wave, with AccuWeather’s Real Feel temperatures forecasted to spike over 100 degrees. The peak of the heat wave looks to be from Monday through Thursday, but hot temperatures could linger for several days after that.
These temperatures could come as a shock to the system, since Southeastern Pennsylvania residents have been experiencing a particularly gloomy spring-to-summer transition.
“We’re not used to it,” said Paul Pastelok, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather in State College, PA. “We haven’t had 4-5 consecutive days of such high temperatures in a while. People are going to be caught off guard, saying this is extreme. And it is extreme.”
Early next week, meteorologists predict that a heat dome will develop. This occurs when a big bubble of high-pressure air forms overhead, which diverts the jet stream away and prevents frontal systems or rain. Instead, it causes sinking air, which dries out and heats up as it sinks. Due to the wetness over the past month from extended bouts of rain, humidity levels are also expected to be high, making the hot temperatures feel sweltering.
This extreme weather is forecasted to occur unusually early in the season. Typically, the hottest time in Philadelphia is around mid-July. The last time temperatures approached 100 degrees in Philadelphia was July of 2012.
According to Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist for weather.com and The Weather Channel, Philadelphia has only endured 10 total days in June where temperatures reached 100 degrees, based on records dating back to 1873.
The all-time hottest June temperature record in Philadelphia stands at 102 degrees, which was reached during the Dust Bowl of 1934.
“We might get close to that,” said Erdman. “I’m not going to forecast that record, as it’s quite a longstanding one, but it could be pretty close.”
While meteorologists cannot pinpoint a direct cause-and-effect for this atypical occurrence, experts say more frequent and intense heat waves are one of the main indicators of climate change.
Though Erdman clarified that he is a meteorologist, not a climatologist, he agreed that unusually high June temperatures are consistent with climate scientists’ findings that heat waves could become more frequent and intense in a warming planet.
“Would this heat wave happen without climate change? Probably yes,” said Erdman. “But what climate change does is it kind of loads the dice. You would have the same heat wave, but in a warmer world, that could make the heat wave more intense, more long-lasting, with higher temperatures.”
With the upcoming heat wave, AccuWeather predicts an increase in energy usage for cooling demands and an elevated risk of heat-related illnesses. The number one weather-related killer in the U.S. is not natural disasters, but extreme heat.
Officials recommend drinking lots of fluids, avoiding spending time outside in peak sunlight hours, and wearing light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
“If you know someone who doesn’t have access to air conditioning or can’t get to a cool place, check on them,” said Erdman. “Maybe invite them to stay at your house for a couple of nights during the heart of this heat wave, because this is a silent killer.”
