Severe T-Storms Hit Area After Record Breaking Heat
Thunderstorms have already hit parts of the area after record breaking heat scorched the region.
NBC10 Philadelphia - Glenn Hurricane Schwartz
Although temps will still be warm tomorrow they won't be record breaking.
Thunderstorms have already hit parts of the area after record breaking heat scorched the region. Record temperatures were either broken or matched in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Wilmington, Allentown and Reading on Wednesday:
| City | Previous Record | Today |
| Philadelphia | 99 (1953) | 100 |
| Atlantic City | 99 (2006) | 100 |
| Wilmington | 100 (1953) | 100 |
| Allentown | 98 (1999) | 98 |
| Reading | 98 (1999) | 99 |
An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for New Castle, Mercer, Gloucester, Camden, Northwestern Burlington, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties until 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
The cool down is underway as severe storms have already moved in to parts of our region. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for the entire area until 9 p.m. Damaging winds and hail are the main threats.
In Sayreville there are reports of numerous trees and wires down with three structures being struck by lightning. There are also reports of tree branches down and power outages in Bethlehem. Heavy thunderstorms hit parts of Bucks County and northern Burlington County.
Storms are strengthening in South Central Jersey and Central Delaware. A cluster of storms, south of Trenton, are moving into Burlington County with lightning and possible hail.
Atlantic City Electric reports around 200 customers in Atlantic County and around 200 in Ocean County are currently without power. PPL reports 4000 customers are without power. 1700 of of those customers are in the Bethlehem area of the Lehigh Valley. 390 PPL customers are without power in Allentown. PPL also reports 82 customers are affected in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Finally, PSEG reports 8000 customers are without power statewide while 5800 are without power in Passaic County.
AC Electric also released the following power outage numbers:
| Counties | Power Outages |
| Atlantic | 6869 |
| Burlington | 441 |
| Camden | 16 |
| Cape May | 207 |
| Cumberland | 707 |
| Gloucester | 164 |
| Ocean | 1 |
| Salem | 8 |
Thursday we'll still see high humidity, but our temperatures will be in the upper 80s (a nice break from the upper 90s!) Storms are likely for most of the day and night.
Friday, temps won't get higher than the low 80s with a chance of showers and thunderstorms.
The rest of the weekend will be nice with sun and temperatures in the 80s.
Remember to try your best to stay cool by wearing light clothing and drinking lots of water.
And don't forget, it's your job to keep your pets safe as the temperatures rise. Here's some helpful tips:
- If your pet spends time outside or in the yard, make sure they have some shade to get out of the sun and make sure they have lots of fresh clear water shaded from the direct sun. Water bowls sitting in the sun can get very hot creating a scalding bowl of water.
- Never leave a pet in a car alone, even with the windows down a crack or the air conditioner running. Even on cooler days, a car can become a furnace very quickly.
- Consider getting an inexpensive plastic kiddie pool for your dog to cool down in post- outdoor exercise. Some dogs also like to play in sprinklers.
- If you have a swimming pool, do not leave your dog unattended in the pool area. Not all dogs can swim -- they can drown if they fall into the water. They can also get sick from drinking chlorinated pool water.
The heatline (215-765-9040) is open Wednesday until midnight and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
- Ways to beat the heat at home
- Keeping your garden growing in extreme heat
- Parks and Recreation Pools and Spraygrounds
- Free Library Cooling Centers
