Heat wave in NJ has arrived. This is how hot it will feel by town in the area
The time has come to break out the sprinkler and crank up the air conditioning as temperatures have started to rise Tuesday morning in New Jersey.
We have officially entered the first day of the first heat wave of 2024.
New Jersey residents can expect the heat to continue to build throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service with a real feel, or heat index, between the mid and upper 90s north and west of New York City and mid 80s to low 90s elsewhere in the region.
Heat index by NJ town for Tuesday
Good morning! Today is the first day of our multi-day heat wave. Heat will continue to build as the week continues. It will feel like the mid to upper 90s north and west of NYC, and mid 80s to low 90s elsewhere. Stay cool. Visit https://t.co/wTqdsonfJ9 for more details. pic.twitter.com/ArOIEJO0dw
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 18, 2024
West Milford: 95
Paramus: 96
Morristown: 98
Sussex: 95
Parsippany: 97
Newark: 94
Somerville: 96
New Brunswick: 99
Freehold: 94
Long Branch: 84
Trenton: 99
New York City: 98
Middletown (NY): 100
What is the heat index?
As we make our way through this brutally hot week, you will probably see a lot of talk about the heat index ... but what exactly does that mean?
According to the National Weather Service, the heat index is also known as the apparent temperature. It essentially tells you what the temperature feels like to the human body when the air temperature is combined with relative humidity.
You can check out the National Weather Service's heat index chart to calculate the heat index and determine its danger. For example, if the temperature is 90 degrees and the relative humidity is 55%, the heat index would be 97.
A heat index of 97 would be considered hot and could possibly have the following effects on people in high-risk groups with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity:
Sunstroke
Heat cramps
Heat exhaustion
The ongoing heat advisory
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory on Monday for most of New Jersey and the surrounding Northeastern states.
The advisory for Passaic, Hudson, Bergen, and Essex counties is set to go into effect at noon on Tuesday and expire at 8 p.m. Thursday. Residents in those counties can expect heat index values of 95 to 100 during the afternoon and early evening hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The advisory for Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Hunterdon counties went into effect at 10 a.m. Tuesday and is set to expire at 6 a.m. Thursday. Residents in those counties can expect heat index values of up to 97.
Excessive heat watch
Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Hunterdon counties are also facing an extreme heat watch which will be in effect from Thursday morning to Sunday evening. Heat index values in these counties could reach up to 104 during that time period.
The National Weather Service recommends that those under the extreme heat watch drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check in on relatives in neighbors.
Additionally, do not leave children or pets in unattended vehicles as interior temperatures will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS recommends that you continue to monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates as the week goes on.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Heat index in NJ for Tuesday, the first day of the heat wave
