Heat, humidity to spur summery conditions, storms in eastern US this week
The combination of building heat and humidity will push AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to triple digits in some areas this week, and may also help boost thunderstorm activity.
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Enthusiasts of summery weather will be happy, while those doing manual labor may struggle as a surge of heat and high humidity builds across the eastern United States this week. The hot, moist air fuels drenching, locally severe thunderstorms.
"Compared to some of the heat surges earlier this year, the one this week in terms of actual temperatures is not as extreme, as we are entering climatologically the hottest quarter of the year," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Widespread highs in the upper 80s to the mid-90s, combined with high humidity, are in store for the mid-Atlantic and Appalachians from the Carolinas to New England Friday.
"Some daily record highs may be set for multiple days in multiple locations," Anderson explained.
The combination of heat, humidity, sunshine and other factors will push AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to and above 100 F for several hours.
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People who exercise or do manual labor in the conditions ahead should stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade or an air-conditioned environment when possible to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Close observation of young children and older adults is strongly encouraged.
The weather conditions will bring great pool and beach weather, as many schools are now on summer break. Caution is urged when swimming in area streams, lakes and the New England and mid-Atlantic beaches, as water temperatures tend to lag well behind air temperatures. For example, water temperatures at Atlantic City, New Jersey, were only in the lower 60s Monday afternoon. It typically takes until July for the risk of cold-water shock and muscle cramps to decrease as water temperatures rise.
Heat, high humidity and thunderstorms go together
While most severe and potentially violent thunderstorms occurred in the Midwest Thursday and Thursday night, there will be some feisty homegrown thunderstorms on a daily basis.
In most situations, the main impact from the storms will be torrential downpours that can lead to flash urban flooding. In some of the most severe storms, strong wind gusts during microbursts can lead to downed trees and power outages. Where these more gusty storms approach the major cities, airline delays will increase due to potentially hazardous conditions for aircraft.
Since most thunderstorms will form a few miles inland of the coast, most beaches should tend to stay dry most of the time this week, Anderson said. The best chance of rain at the beach will be in the evening, as the sea breeze diminishes and a land breeze develops, allowing storms to reach the coast. There will be some exceptions, however.
Storms can pack a punch from Tennessee through much of the Northeast on Friday. A concentrated area of storms from West Virginia through southern New York can again bring the threat for torrential downpours, gusty winds and hail.
Much cooler air will begin to circulate from the northern part of the Plains to more of the Midwest Friday and then ease into the interior Northeast later this weekend.
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