Philly-area heat wave could bring strong thunderstorms and temperatures near 100 degrees

Bring out the fans and the Popsicles, it’s going to be a scorcher of a week in the Philadelphia region. City agencies and utilities urge residents to take the above-average temperatures — expected to approach 100 degrees — seriously.

Monday afternoon kicked off with gloomy skies and some scattered thunderstorms in eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern and western parts of New Jersey, though they offered no reprieve from the heat that will continue to build throughout the week.

Temperatures measured at Philadelphia International Airport reached 94 degrees Monday, and forecasters say the mercury could inch closer to 100 Wednesday and Thursday, expected to be the hottest days this week.

National Weather Service Mount Holly meteorologist Matt Brudy said no heat advisories or warnings had been issued as of Monday but that could change in the days ahead.

» READ MORE: Philly’s summer temps have risen 3 degrees since 1970 — and nights have gotten even warmer

The criteria for heat advisories and warnings vary by area. In the general Philly I-95 corridor, a heat advisory would be issued when the temperature is expected to stay between 100 and 104 degrees for two consecutive hours. If the heat index — what the temperature feels like o the human body — is slated to reach 105 degrees or greater for at least two consecutive hours, the NWS will issue a heat warning. And while this week’s temperatures are above average for mid-July, Brudy said a heat advisory or warning is not unusual for this time of year.

“These are our warm months — June, July, August,” said Brudy of the possible warnings. “So this is about on par with what we would expect.”

Already, Philadelphia agencies are urging residents to take the heat seriously.

» READ MORE: How to avoid heatstroke and heat exhaustion

The Philadelphia Department of Health has issued a heat caution set to run from noon Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday, meaning the city will be releasing information to vulnerable communities and city agencies should be ready for a potential heat emergency. Should a heat emergency be called, the city would open cooling centers among additional measures.

The department suggests drinking lots of water and avoiding being outside during the hottest portion of the day, noon to 5 p.m. Cooling centers have not been activated at this time.

The Office of Homeless Services is urging those experiencing homelessness to head to an air-conditioned shelter. Outreach workers will be on the streets offering people water.

» READ MORE: Where to cool off in a Philadelphia heat wave

The heat is likely to hold steady through the weekend with temperatures in the high 80s through low 90s, said Brudy.

PSE&G said it has additional personnel ready to respond to any possible demand-related outages, though the company expects to meet peak demand as people crank up their air conditioners.