Hot weather nears potential records in Philadelphia; Storm, rain, severe weather risk upgraded Sunday
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hot weather that overtook the Philadelphia region this week will be at its hottest over the weekend, with potential feels-like temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday and Sunday.
An excessive heat watch that was set to begin Saturday has been shifted to a heat advisory. The excessive heat watch for Sunday, June 23, has been upgraded to an excessive heat warning with a high dew point and humidity adding to the heat and creating potential feels-like temperatures as high as 106 degrees.
The real thermometer reading Sunday could peak at 99 degrees in Philadelphia and will be consistently in the mid-90s around the rest of the region including Reading, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; and Millville and Vineland, New Jersey.
If Philadelphia's forecasted high temperature holds on Sunday, it would break the record of 97 degrees set on June 23, 1888.
Code Orange air quality alert in Philadelphia
Philadelphia and the surrounding area are again under a Code Orange air quality alert for levels of ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5).
The air quality concerns in Philadelphia and the surrounding area today are due to hazy skies caused by the heat dome over the region that has yet to budge. With the stagnant, barely moving air, pollutants like ozone and PM2.5 can't filter out.
A Code Orange air quality alert means the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups like the elderly, children and people with breathing difficulties or lung conditions like asthma and COPD.
You can monitor air quality conditions at Airnow.gov or on this webpage on Phila.gov.
Severe weather chances on Saturday, Sunday; risk upgraded for Lehigh Valley
With all this heat and humidity there is plenty of potential in the atmosphere for a storm if one pops up.
Any thunderstorms that spark this afternoon or evening could drop heavy rain and could also bring high winds.
Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, along with Upper Bucks and Upper Montgomery counties, are under a Level 1 or "marginal" risk of severe weather on Saturday.
The greater potential for severe weather is on Sunday, and the farthest northern parts of our region have been upgraded to a Level 2 or "slight" risk of severe weather. This includes areas like Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the Poconos.
Anything that develops Sunday would start around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.
Points south of that area, including South Jersey, Philadelphia and the suburbs, are under a Level 1 or "marginal" risk of severe weather.
We are looking at potential damaging winds, downpours that could create flash flooding, small hail and you cannot rule out the chance of an isolated tornado.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Saturday: NEXT Weather Alert for excessive heat. High 98
Sunday: NEXT Weather Alert for excessive heat. Chance of potential severe storms. High 99, Low 78
Monday: Cooler thanks to storms. High 90, Low 74
Tuesday: Clear skies. High 91, Low 68
Wednesday: Heating back up. High 97, Low 72
Thursday: High 89, Low 73
Friday: High 87, Low 67
