Philadelphia heat wave end? Latest forecast, power outages, Code Orange

PHILADELPHIA - It's official, Philadelphia has officially reached 100 degrees!

What we know:

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Philadelphia officially hit 100 degrees for the first time in 13 years. 

According to the National Weather Service, this breaks the daily record high temperature of 99 degrees set in 1923.

When will the heat wave end?

An Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect in the Philly area until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Although the lowest temperatures may be between 75 and 80 degrees, the high humidity will not offer much relief from the heat.

This kind of extreme heat is what the NWS calls a silent killer.

The heat wave will end as early as Wednesday. 

A round of late-day storms on Thursday could help cool down the region as more modest summer temperatures in the 70s and 80s are forecast through the weekend.

Power Outages

PECO has worked diligently over the past few days to restore power in the area. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, a little over 200 homes in the Philadelphia area are experiencing power outages with thousands of customers impacted. 

This comes after storms last Thursday blew out power for many. 

How to prepare

Officials say everyone should do the following: 

• Drink plenty of fluids
• Stay in an air-conditioned room
• Stay out of the sun
• Check up on relatives and neighbors.
• Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles.
• Make sure your pets also have plenty of fresh drinking water.
• Those taking regular medication should consult with their physician. Some medications cause an adverse reaction in hot weather.
• Wear lightweight clothing.
• Maintain a normal diet.
• Shower or bathe in water that is near skin temperature.
• If you do not have air conditioning in your home or lack shelter, call 211 for help locating shelters.

Where to find a cooling center near you

If you or someone you know or a neighbor is in danger or needs help in this extreme heat, the region provides cooling centers for those needing a cool place to be.

• Philadelphia provides cooling centers during Heat Health Emergencies and locations can be found here
• Bucks County cooling centers
• Chester County cooling centers and heat plan
• Delaware County heat plan and cooling centers
• Montgomery County cooling centers
• New Jersey cooling centers by county can be found here
• New Castle County heat emergency plans and how to get help can be found here

Code Orange

In addition to the Extreme Heat Warning, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has declared a Code Orange in the Philadelphia area Tuesday.

A Code Orange air quality alert means that air pollution within the region may be unhealthy for sensitive groups. 

Sensitive groups include children, those with asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases, and the elderly.

Limit the effects of air pollution by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors.

Residents and businesses within the Code Orange area can help reduce ozone air pollution by: 

• Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;
• Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
• Limiting engine idling;
• Refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and
• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.

Check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in your area.

Additional Resources:

The Centers for Disease Control has a heat and health tracker, which you can find here, which provides more tips to stay safe in the heat.

The National Weather Service has a HeatRisk page on their website, here, which can help understand the weather conditions over seven days and how it can affect you.

The Red Cross has information, tips and resources on heat-related issues which can be found here.

WeatherNews